Mystery (Supported repost)
by Inoke Chaz
Summary: After investigating a 'mystery cave' at the bottom of a reef, Luffy, Zoro and Robin accidentally find themselves in Middle Earth. Now Luffy has two options. He can help save their world in exchange for a way home...or he can find some lunch. (Supported story.)
1. An Auspicious Beginning

**Mystery **

**disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Lord of the Ring's copyright.**

000ooo000

The sea was an open, crystal blue buffed by the high wind that skipped over the waves. The horizon stretched forever, broken only by the small ship moving briskly with its full sails.

"Oho!" Cried Luffy, holding onto his hat as he sat high up on the figurehead. Grinning from ear to ear, he waved at his navigator at the wheel and shouted to be heard over the wind. "How much longer to the next island, Nami!?"

Nami huffed and checked her log pose again.

"For the fourth time, Luffy, Two Days! Ask again and I'll make Sanji skip your lunch! Idiot!"

"Shishishi!"

Sanji stepped out of the kitchen, glaring.

"Oi oi! Are you annoying Nami-swan, idiot?"

"He's fine." Nami muttered, not really wanting them to fight. "He's just developed a worst memory than usual, is all." Sanji danced his way to her side and presented her with a melon smoothie and Nami took it, smiling. "It's going to be two days of hell if he keeps up all this energy." Sanji made a small hum of agreement and pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, lighting it up.

"It's only been a day since we left those pirate hunters behind."

"And it's the first calm morning we've had since leaving Sabaody… do you think he's just getting bored?"

"Luffy? Probably but he always seems to find a way to entertain himself." Nami sighed and ran a hand through her hair and fixed Sanji with a look.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed." She said quietly as the both watched their captain. "He's… different. He's always liked fighting but now," She paused. "Now it's like he doesn't know what to do when he's not fighting."

"Rayleigh probably worked him hard. We all did. Which is why we all deserve this moment of rest." Sanji smiled and slid an arm around her shoulders.

"Nami!"

Startled, Nami swallowed her reply and turned to where her captain was standing tensely on the figurehead.

"What is it?"

"The ocean is glowing!" He cried, sounding delighted.

"Glowing?!"

Worried, she slipped down the stairs, Sanji hot on her heels, and peered over the railing for a better look. Sure enough, straight in front of the Sunny was a large patch of glowing water.

"What the hell?" She muttered, pulling out a telescope to get a better look. Luffy jumped down next to her and tried to peer through it with her. Batting him away with one hand, she focused in on the anomaly.

"Let me see, let me see!" Luffy whined.

"Quiet!" Nami muttered. "It's like there's something under the water making a light. A submarine, maybe?" Luffy jerked slightly and leaned over the railing as if he could look under the water.

"Oooh, do you think it's Law? Maybe he wants to fight."

"Oh joy." Nami huffed and clicked the telescope closed. "We shouldn't get closer until we know more about it. For all we know it's a sea king trying to lure in prey." Turning she pointed at Sanji. "Quick, drop the anchor and let Franky know what's going on. Luffy, go get the rest of the crew and bring them up to the deck. We'll need everyone's opinion." Luffy put a hand on his hat, eyes glinting as he followed her order.

"Lunch!"

000

"What about the Shark sub?" Franky asked, using his bionic eyes to zoom in on the light. "A couple of us could go below and see what's causing it. It'll be super!" Nami rolled her eyes.

"And if it's a sea king? What then?"

"Then we eat it!" Luffy shouted, drooling at the idea.

"Noo!" Cried Chopper looking frantic. "It'll eat _us_!"

Usopp nodded in agreement, looking a little ill at the idea. "One snap and we'd be goners!"

"A glowing sea king would be a rare find." Robin murmured, almost to herself. "I would like to see it, if I could."

"Food!" Luffy shouted in agreement, throwing his hands up." Zoro snorted, looking bored by the whole conversation.

"I go wherever Luffy goes."

"Fine." Nami said, giving in to Luffy's gleeful shouts. "Why don't you three take the sub. The rest of us will stay here and monitor the surface." She smiled evilly and joked. "That way if you die, we can make a quick getaway."

It didn't take long for the sub to pull away from the ship, its occupants watching out its windows for any sign of life. Their baby den den mushi sat on the dashboard, an open connection to the Sunny.

"See anything?" Nami's voice asked through the snail.

"Nothing yet, but there appears to be a reef here. It is good that we stopped or it is possible we might have run into it." Robin replied, looking at the almost transparent plant life surrounding them. As the girls discussed the reef in the background, Luffy pushed his face against the glass and tried to make out where the light was coming from. Like the surface, the light was contained in a single area and seemed to be part of the coral. However, none of the other coral was glowing. Suddenly, the coral fell away, revealing a large open space in the reef. The coral had formed a bowl shape and at the bottom was the source of the light, a glowing circle. As they watched, fish swam past the light and disappeared only the emerge again a few moments later.

"Oho!" Luffy cried, jumping with excitement. "I wanna go too!" Robin quickly explained the situation to Nami who instantly replied.

"No! Luffy you are not going to explore a glowing hole in the ocean."

"Aww, but I want to look inside the mystery cave!" Luffy whined.

"Ms. Navigator, I do believe its safe. The fish seem to be unharmed, at any rate." Robin said, smiling at her captain who was still jumping up and down.

"And what's going to happen if you get sucked into whirlpool or run out of air?" Nami groused.

"We will only be an hour. "Robin promised, looking at how much oxygen they had available.

"If we do not return in that amount of time, we should have enough air for you to come find us."

"How deep is this hole?" Nami asked, thinking it over.

"Only twenty feet below the surface, I would estimate."

"Alright, Luffy. But if you're not up in an hour I will rip your arms off."

Luffy let out a whoop and pushed the controls forward, sending the ship downwards. "Mystery cave, mystery cave!" He sang happily as the ship got closer to the light.

"We didn't bring any food," Robin warned him. "If we stay too long you won't have anything to eat."

Luffy stopped singing but didn't let up on their decent. "One hour." He agreed, nodding his head seriously. There was a split second before, "Mystery cave then lunch! Mystery cave then lu~nch!"

He was still singing when they passed through the hole and all hell broke loose.


	2. Finder's Keepers

Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own any One Piece of Lord of the Ring's copyrights.

A/n: Any reader suggestions are welcome but please try to keep them realistic. No crazy Luffy elf harems please.

000ooo000

At first, the occupants of the shark sub thought they had entered a cave. As soon as they passed through the bright light of the circle, the water around them grew too dark to see much farther. Silently, Robin flipped on the headlights and they watched the fish swim in and out of view. Luffy pouted.

"Bor~ing!" He whined. Robin smiled, adjusting their decent.

"We appear to have found an underwater cave. Perhaps there is treasure at the bottom?" This perked Luffy up enough that he went back to pressing his face against the glass. Zoro snorted and propped his legs up on the dash, prepared to leave the controls to Robin.

"As if anyone'd be stupid enough to dump gold down here."

"Ah, but there doesn't seem to be any sign of the unusual light past the opening. It is possible that there might be others who came to investigate and perhaps never returned." She smiled serenely, inwardly thrilled at the chance to explore, and reached for their snail. "Nami." She called, waiting for the other women to pick up. The snail stayed silent. Concerned, she tapped the shell slightly. The snail gave her a very disgruntled look and curled up, ignoring her. "Oh dear." Robin turned to Luffy who was still watching the small silver fish.

"We appear to have lost connection with the Sunny." She said, setting the snail inside her pocket.

The sub was silent. Eventually, she grabbed the controls and brought them to a stop. "It might be wise to turn back." She said thoughtfully. "There may be a chance that the source of the light blocks signals. We would have no way of letting the others know of any difficulties… or of them warning us." The last part she added darkly. They were in an unknown ocean that had a reputation for danger, after all.

Before anyone could reply, a light appeared outside the sub, steadily growing brighter.

"Mystery light!" Luffy cried, distracted.

"Luffy, we still don't have a signal…" Robin started.

"Don't just grab the wheel, idiot!" Said Zoro, trying to wrestle Luffy away from the dashboard.

"I wasn't going to move us!" Luffy exclaimed, wrestling back.

"Fighting inside the sub may not be advisable-"

"Don't pinch, you little-"

"Owowowow, Zoro-"

The sub shuddered and they froze, belatedly realizing that the light was getting larger. Groaning, the ship began to spin in the water, the light flashing into view with every spin.

"Something is pulling the ship in." Robin gasped, fighting for control of the wheel.

"Whirlpool?" Zoro asked, bracing himself against the hull, which was still complaining under the pressure of the tide.

"More than likely." Robin gritted, straining all of her hands. Whatever Luffy was going to say was lost in the roar of the water as the light overwhelmed them.

00000

Brandywine River was not known for its rapids. Though deep, the river moved with the lazy pace of a hobbit after second dinner and was mostly full of small trout. It was, however, known for its shady trees and relaxing air. Which was why, on a particularly warm day, one Hobbit was sitting alone under a large willow tree, reading a book.

Frodo enjoyed reading by himself. Like his guardian, he found that life was much more interesting if you could spend a little of it between the pages of a good story.

Of course, his guardian also said that nothing spiced life up like a little adventure now and then, but Frodo knew that was as likely to happen to him, as Sam was likely to finally getting the courage to ask Rosie to dance with him. Fondly thinking on his friend, Frodo turned another page and listened to the gentle rush of the river… which seemed to be getting louder? Frowning, he set the book aside and looked around. The river seemed normal, the water still moving sluggishly towards the village farther downstream… but the roar of rushing water was definitely coming from somewhere ahead. Frodo leaned out on to the bank, trying to see the source of the noise. Perhaps a boat had taken a wrong turn and was heading to the Shire instead to Bree?

What he saw surprised him. If he had been a better hobbit, he might have fainted. Instead, Frodo watched in awe as a wall of water, carrying what looked like a toy fish the size of Bag End's living room, crested over the small river. Horrified, Frodo grabbed his book and raced up the willow, gaining ground just quick enough to miss the wave crash over the banks, depositing its load on the grass before swirling back into the river. Frodo, exhaled slowly, staring at the mess of torn grass, flopping fish, and the giant, ugly toy where he had been enjoying his afternoon read.

Nothing, not even Bilbo's stories, had even mentioned waves that appeared out of nowhere. Slowly, trying not to slip on the wet trunk, Frodo climbed down and squelched through the mud towards the toy. He tapped a hand against it and was surprised to find it made of metal. Silently trying to work out the symbols on the side of the fish, a door opened in the side, scaring him badly. Frodo jumped in alarm at the hiss of escaping air and then watched as a face appeared.

A man, for he was far too tall to be a hobbit and too skinny to be an elf, fell out of the opening and tumbled to the ground with a groan of pain. Frodo realized he was bleeding slightly on his temple. Trying to remember Bilbo's healer lessons, he placed a hand against the man's throat and was relieved to feel movement. The human wasn't dead just yet, then. A similar groan came from inside and Frodo saw that there was two others inside, a larger man with several scars and a woman wearing less clothing then he had ever seen on any female in his life. Blushing, He checked to make sure they were both breathing and raced back to the Shire. It was going to take a lot of hands to get them back to Bag End.

00000

"Well, she's certainly well endowed." Was the first thing Bilbo said as they set the woman down on the bed, her feet hanging off the end of the hobbit sized mattress. Her companions, both shorter than her, had been put in the master bedroom at the end of the hall. Bilbo's bed was much larger than the guest bed and was the only place they could put her. Frodo was secretly relieved that none of them hadn't been placed in his room, though he knew that now he and Bilbo would be sharing a room. Blushing at Bilbo comment, Frodo busied himself with setting out the herbs and bandages on the side table.

Bilbo noticed his discomforted and laughed kindly. "There now, my boy. No need to get flushed over a few glances. You'd be hard pressed to find such delights on a hobbit lass." Wishing he could sink into the floor, Frodo handed the damp tea towel to Bilbo and then set about washing away the dried blood on the woman's arm. It wasn't as if he hadn't noticed. She was wearing a very tight blue shirt, cut like a man's, with short straps over her shoulders. Her breasts, thanks to her larger size, were almost as large as Frodo's head. Hard pressed indeed, Frodo thought, keeping his eyes studiously away from the gentle slope of skin showing above her neckline.

"The men folk weren't wearing much either." Bilbo mused, washing her face gently. "One has no shirt and the other wears his open. Perhaps they come from the south and are accustom to much warmer climates?"

"Did you notice the salt smell?" Frodo asked quietly, watching his cousin. It was the most animated he had seen Bilbo in years. Not even the plans for his birthday party next week had gotten him this excited.

"Aye. Sea salt, if I'm not mistaken. Definitely southerners, then."

"Why would sailors from the sea be this far inland and on a freshwater river?" Bilbo considered this, working silently to clean and bandage the woman's wounds.

"I don't know." Bilbo admitted after a while. He set the woman's arm down and drew the covers over her. "However," he continued, "I have seen many a strange thing in my day. It's possible that whatever has brought these strangers to our door will show itself soon."

"Should we be worried?" Frodo asked, helping Bilbo carry out the supplies.

"Worry?" Bilbo asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "Whatever for? This is the most fun I've had in years."

000ooo000

End of Chapter

a/n: This story will probably be a lot of fits and starts as my time and interest goes up and down. I will try to keep this story alive, but a lot of it has to do with your interest in it as well. If you have ideas or constructive criticism, please let me know.


	3. Sweet Mornings

**Sweet Mornings**

**Edited: 1/30/15**

000ooo000

Robin woke - as she often did- with a start. Keeping her eyes closed out of habit, she listened to the bird calls and tried to place them. It didn't take her long to decide that none of them were birds found near oceans. Slowly, she opened her eyes and mapped her surroundings. She was in a small bedroom, the bed child sized as was the furniture. Daylight poured in through a cheerful window, opened to a cool breeze. Robin sat up and noticed the ceiling was much lower then one would expect, even in a child's room. Small people then? Robin supposed that if giants existed it only made sense for there to be tiny people as well.

A quick personal inventory told her she still had all her limbs, was not tied down, and had been expertly bandaged. Friendly small people? Smiling at nothing in particular, Robin stood, stooping slightly to avoid the wooden beams across the ceiling, and ducked through the door.

"Ahh!" Came a cry somewhere around her knees. Startled, Robin looked down. A small boy - 'Man?' she thought, eyeing his white hair- was sitting on the ground, a tray balanced in his hands. "Oh dear," he said, peering up at her. "My apologies, I didn't mean to run you over. I didn't realize you were awake." He paused and tried to stand before Robin took the tray out of his hands to help him on to his feet. Smiling, the little man brushed himself off and motioned for her to follow him back the way he had come. "Dear me, I haven't even introduced myself, have I! Bilbo Baggins at your service." Robin smiled back, charmed.

"A pleasure, Mr. Baggins. I am Nico Robin." She waited and then let her shoulders relax slightly when he showed no recognition. "Do I have you to thank for my bandages?" She asked, setting the tray down on a little table inside a tiny kitchen, and taking an offered seat.

"My nephew as well, though he is not here at the moment. I sent him out shopping hours ago." Bilbo replied, setting a kettle to boil. "He's the one that found you and your friends out by the river. Said you came in a giant metal toy, if you can imagine."

Robin smiled vaguely. "My companions are here as well?" She asked, ignoring the question. Bilbo pretended not to notice.

"Yes indeed, though you're the first to rise. You all had some nasty bumps and bruises, but nothing a little herbs and hot water couldn't cure."

"Thank you, Mr. Baggins." She paused, stirring the cup of tea Bilbo handed her and studied the man in front of her. Bilbo said nothing, simply sipping his tea and waited for her to speak. "Your kindness is greatly appreciated. However, I was hoping you could tell me what island we are on?"

"Island?" Bilbo looked positively gleeful. "You're from an island? How extraordinary! There aren't any islands near here, I'm afraid. If you've come from the sea, you're a long ways off."

"No islands?" Robin asked in surprise, setting down her tea. Robin tried to search her memory for any information on a land big enough to be considered a mainland. She had never heard of such a thing. Robin opened her mouth to ask him if they were simply on a large island and then shut her mouth. It could be possible; they were in the new world after all. Not to mention, her host might be offended if she started correcting his geography. Deciding to let the matter rest for now, Robin smiled again and picked up her tea.

"What is the name of this land, if you please?"

"Well, this area is called the Shire, home of the hobbits. If you're talking about the entire continent, we call it Middle Earth."

"_Middle_ earth." Robin repeated thoughtfully. A name like that implied a large amount of land and at least two other similarly sized islands as well. Nami hadn't said anything about large islands and Mr. Baggins had said the ocean was a long ways away. Robin sighed and resisted the urge to rub her forehead. In conclusion; they were a long ways from the ship.

"What are 'hobbits'? She asked, wanting to change the subject.

Bilbo laughed and waved a hand at himself. "I'm not surprised you don't know, not many do and almost no men. They called us Halflings, for our size, and we live simple, peaceful lives in the hills."

"Are there many of you?"

"Hmm, not as many as the men or the elves, I suppose." Bilbo pursed his lips in thought and appeared to be counting. "I'd say perhaps a couple thousand of us? Maybe five thousand total. We all live in one place, you see, so there isn't a lot of room to grow. Most families only have a few children."

Only a few thousand for an entire species? How on earth did they manage to prevent extinction? Robin shook her head in wonder and then paused. Elves?

"Hmm, you mentioned… elves, as well. How many sentient species are there on this island?"

"Oh, let's see." Bilbo did some more calculating.

"Elves, men, hobbits, dwarves, uh… orcs…. hmmm." Bilbo shook his head. "I'm sure there are more than those, but I can't think of them at the moment… Ah, goblins! There are goblins too."

"Amazing." Robin said, thinking about all the possibilities for culture and language. Could this be tied to her research?

"Do you not have elves in the south?" Bilbo asked, curious. Robin pulled away from her thoughts and smiled at him.

"Unfortunately, no. We have merpeople, but they live deep underwater and do not interact with humans often." Or at least not without one group trying to kill the other. Bilbo opened his mouth; his eyes alight with a thirst for information, when a cry from the back of the house broke through the quiet of the morning.

"ROOOBBBIINNN!?" Came Luffy's voice at the top of his considerable lungs. Robin turned towards the hallway where Luffy was barreling out of the dim light to throw himself at her.

"Where are we" Her captain cried, eyes shining with excitement. "Where's the shark? And the fish? And our _mystery cave_?" He asked, looking around the room as if he thought it could be hiding behind the tiny furniture. His eyes fell on Bilbo and he grinned. "Hello! Wow, you're _tiny_! Are you a reverse giant?" Without waiting for Bilbo to reply, he leaned over and picked the smaller man up.

"Ho ho! You are really small!" Bilbo coughed and tried to pull away.

"G-good morning, I am glad to see you've suffered no damage from your shipwreck." He kicked his legs helplessly until Luffy finally set him down. Straightening his waistcoat, his face red, Bilbo busied himself setting up another seat for the boy. When he had food in front of his guest, more tea at the ready, and his face was back to normal, he returned to his seat and smiled at the newcomer.

"I'm afraid I didn't catch your name." He said, watching him quickly work his way through a plate of bacon.

"Ah, let me introduce you." Robin said when Luffy tried to swallow too fast and began choking. "This is my captain, Luffy. Luffy, this is Mr. Bilbo Baggins. He and his nephew rescued us after our submarine crashed nearby."

"Captain?" Bilbo asked in surprise. The boy, though he had the markings of someone reaching their maturity, did not look old enough to ride into battle let alone lead it.

"Captain of the Straw-hat pirates!" Luffy cried, pumping one fist into the air. "And I'm going to be king of the pirates, too!"

"Pirates?" Bilbo's voice sharpened. He didn't know much about pirates but he knew enough to be worried. Robin noticed his discomfort and smiled warmly.

"Please don't be alarmed, Mr. Baggins. I assure you we have desire to harm you or you possessions. We are in debt to you and pose no threat." Bilbo studied her open smile and Luffy's infectious grin and felt himself relax. They certainly didn't seem like killers. Pirates! He shook his head in amazement and wondered if perhaps he was getting too old for these sorts of things. After a pause, Bilbo wrinkled his noses in disgust. _I sound like a Sackville!_ Pushing away that disturbing thought, Bilbo slid another plate of food towards Luffy and smiled.

"So what brings you to the shire, Captain Luffy?"

00000

Frodo paused beside a vegetable stall and considered the mound of red fruit. Bilbo hadn't specified what he wanted; he had just ordered Frodo out to the market with a sack of coins and a large basket. Trying to remember what was left in the pantry, he didn't hear the sound of two pairs of feet sneaking up behind him.

"Frodo! Just the hobbit we've been looking for!" Merry threw an arm around Frodo's shoulders, pinning his prey to his side. Frodo jumped, startled, and tried unsuccessfully to back away from his friend.

"We've been hearing the strangest rumors." Pippin continued, pinning Frodo's other shoulder with a friendly hug.

"Rumor?" Frodo asked lightly, wishing he had thought to ask Bilbo what they were going to tell their nosey neighbors.

"Aye!" Merry grinned, sensing weakness. "Something about a lass with knockers as big as Farmer Eldrwin's prize pumpkins." Frodo winced. It seemed he wasn't the only one who had noticed.

"There is a Woman at Bag End," Frodo said quietly, "A Woman and two Men. They washed up on the riverbanks yesterday."

"And the pumpkins?" Pippin piped up, undeterred. Frodo rolled his eyes.

"Yes, they are as big as Farmer Eldrwin's pumpkins."

"We saw their boat, if you could call it that. It's very… strange." Merry said, finally letting Frodo go. Frodo backed up a few feet and cast a glance around. Thankfully most of the shire was used to Merry and Pippin and paid them no mind.

"It's almost Bilbo's birthday," Pippin said, "Do you think they're some friends from his old adventures come to visit?" He sounded terribly excited but Frodo wasn't surprised. Out of all the faunts he had listened to Bilbo's stories with, Merry and Pippin were two of only a handful of adult hobbits who still liked to hear them.

"No, I don't believe so. He seemed just as surprised to see them as I was, if better prepared to deal with their injuries. He didn't recognize their ship either." Pippin's face fell a little.

"I suppose if he had met a Woman like that, he would have mentioned it before now." Merry rolled his eyes dramatically and threw his hands out.

"Three strange Men appear out of nowhere and are living in our good friend's house and what do we do? Stand here talking like fools! Frodo, you have to introduce us!" Frodo bit his lip and considered his friends. Bilbo hadn't said he had to keep it secret and had never minded the two Tooks coming to visit before.

"Alright." He said, giving in to Pippin's pleading eyes. "But you have to mind your manner and be polite or Bilbo will throw you out on your arses." Merry and Pippin nodded energetically and took off for Bag End, pulling Frodo along between them.

"We should grab Sam!"

Frodo groaned.

000ooo000

End of Chapter


	4. Merry Maker

**Merry Maker**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Lord of the Ring copyrights.**

**A/n: Sorry about the long pause, this chapter took forever to write. I'm not entirely satisfied with it but I hope you enjoy it.**

000ooo000

When Gandalf pulled his cart up the lane towards Hobbiton, he was mildly surprised to see that Frodo was not waiting for him, as had been his habit the last twenty years. Though odd, Gandalf was not really surprised. Frodo was an adult now, surely it was not so shocking that he had outgrown waiting like a child for his friend to appear. As the wizard pulled past the empty hill and into the village he felt a small pang in his heart. As nice as it was to know Frodo was maturing, it was still sad to see the lad grow up. The ride through the town was uneventful. Many children still remembered him and called out to greet him, despite the suspicious glares of their parents, but none wandered close enough to speak to him. Therefore, it was a calm and entirely unsuspecting Gandalf that pulled his cart up next to Bag End and knocked on the door.

"Gandalf!" Said a familiar voice behind him. The wizard paused, his staff still raised, and looked over his shoulder at the four young hobbits smiling up at him.

"Ah, Frodo." Gandalf said, pleased to see his friend though not entirely pleased to see the calculating look Merry and Pippin were giving his cart of fireworks. "Been shopping for your uncle, I see?"

"Yes." Said Frodo, not very subtly kicking Merry in the leg. "We have a few extra guests and Bilbo thought it best to stock up."

"Guests?" Gandalf was truly surprised. Bilbo had been very closed off in the years since the Thorin and his nephews' deaths. In fact, until Frodo had arrived he had even ceased to leave his house, preferring to pay his neighbor's daughter to fetch food from the market for him. "Dwarves?" He finally asked. It wasn't impossible that one or two of the company might have made their way down to the shire for their friend's birthday.

"No, Men. They washed up in the river and Bilbo took them in." Gandalf would have replied to this if it had not been for a loud crash from somewhere inside the hobbit hole, accompanied by a loud cry. Startled, the five took a large step back as the green door was thrown open and someone came barreling out of it.

"Woo!" Shouted the stranger, a young man grinning from ear to ear, as he jumped over the frozen hobbits and raced down the lane.

"Luffy!" Growled a second man, larger and obviously older with some nasty looking scars. He paused at the sight of the five, slowed enough to go around them, and took off after the first.

"Oh dear." Said Bilbo, peering around the door with a tall woman. "Are they always like that?"

"Luffy is very excitable and as his first mate, Zoro follows him." The woman explained, looking very unconcerned with being left behind by her companions. "As soon as Luffy is satisfied that our ship is undamaged, he will returned. Good morning." She directed this last bit to the newcomers, smiling mysteriously. There was a long silence.

"Gad, they _are _as big as pumpkins."

00000

_Earlier that Morning..._

Zoro was not what anyone would call a patient man but he was an intelligent one. Sure, he had no sense of direction, liked to spend most of his time sleeping, and sometimes couldn't be bothered with stupid details like why Sanji was yelling at him, but he knew how think when he wanted to. When he woke up, sprawled over a child sized bed with his feet hanging off the edge, it only took him a second to confirm that the room was silent and enemy free. A scan of the room told him that the owner was male, young, and not trained in combat. A cocked ear told him that Luffy and Robin were somewhere in the house, not upset, and probably together. The tension that has crawled through his muscles slacked and Zoro fell back onto the bed, rubbing the scar across his eye consideringly. The last thing he had remember was being stuck in that damn boat. Groaning inwardly at the swirl of color and nausea that the memories invoked, he silently vowed to punch Franky in the mouth the next time he saw him. Grabbing his swords, which had been placed neatly on the side table, he stood and headed for the door.

The hallway was empty but he could hear the voices of his friends drifting down with the sunlight pouring out of an open window. The room the hallway opened into was stacked ceiling high with books, comfortable chairs, and an unlit fireplace. It looked easily defended in an attack, with plenty of improvised weapons laying about. Zoro made a note of all the windows and doors and then continued towards what he assumed was a kitchen from the smell wafting towards him. Sure enough, he found his captain and their researcher sitting at a table laden with food, speaking with a small man about waist high. The man looked to be reaching the end of middle age, had overly large feet, no sign of combat training, and was laughing his head off.

"No! She didn't" The man cried, not even trying to hide his mirth. Luffy grinned from ear to ear, holding his belly as he laughed with him.

"Yes! I thought she'd never let go." Robin smiled benignly at the two of them and then turned to Zoro who had stopped inside the doorway.

"Morning." He muttered. Instantly Luffy's head wiped around and narrowed in on his first mate.

"Zoro!" He cried, jumping up to latch on to the larger man like a limpet. Zoro patted his head and sat down at the table in the newly unoccupied chair, not bothering to try and remove him.

"Mr. Baggins, this is Zoro, our First Mate. Zoro, our host, Mr. Bilbo Baggins." Zoro watched Bilbo's eyes take in his numerous scars before settling politely on his face.

"Well met, Mr. Zoro. I'm very glad to see you've awakened without difficulty." Zoro nodded, ignoring Luffy babbling into his ear about 'hobbits' and eyed the food on the table. Bilbo noticed his interest and rushed to give him a plate. "Help yourself, plenty of food to go around. My nephew should be back soon with enough food for second breakfast."

Luffy's chatter cut off abruptly as his head whipped around. "Second breakfast?" He asked, sounding awed. "Sanji never lets us have _second breakfast_." Bilbo blinked and then smiled.

"As far as I've been able to tell, it is a hobbit habit. I promise I won't be offended if you decide to decline." Zoro tried to swallow past the sudden dryness in his throat. Luffy had taken on a very Nami like look, the one she usually had when she was about to pounce. Shuddering, he turned away from the sight. Robin smiled at him over her teacup but her eyes looked worried.

"I'm afraid we've run into a problem, Zoro." She said quietly, Luffy's happy cries of joy almost drowning her out. Zoro frowned and swallowed.

"Problem?" He grunted. He and Robin had never been particularly close but he had come to respect her vast knowledge and maturity. If Robin thought something was wrong it probably was.

"We appear to be stranded. Mr. Baggins has been kind enough to show me a map of the area and unfortunately we seem to have come out of that cave in the middle of a large island."

"How far?" He asked, instantly understanding the gravity of their situation. It was bad enough if they were a few days from the ocean, that wouldn't be a problem, but being stuck inland on an unknown island, no way of knowing how far from the Sunny they were or how to contact the ship...

"If we were to walk, it would take us at least a month to reach the nearest beach." She said solemnly. Zoro forced himself not to curse. 'Nearest beach' meant that she had no idea which side of the island they even needed to be on. He had had that problem himself many times.

"Could any of the locals point us towards the grandline?" He asked even knowing it was a unlikely. Robin shook her head.

"Mr. Baggins informed me he's never heard of the Grandline, the Marines, or any of the leading Pirate crews."

Well fuck.

000000

Robin smiled at the new faces and quickly memorized their faces. You never knew what could be important. The first four were obviously more hobbits, younger than Bilbo and brimming with curiosity. One of them looked less awed than the others and she quickly surmised that he was Frodo, Bilbo's nephew. There was even a slight resemblance around the eyes. Ignoring the comment from the youngest looking boy, she had heard enough similar remarks over the years, she turned and studied the man with the walking stick. He looked Old. Not old in the usual way of passing years, but in the way that spoke off lots of experience and not all of it pleasant. He was also studying her, his eyes sharp and focused. He reminded her of Professor Clover, a thought that made her smile genuine. Before she could add anything to her greeting, Bilbo jumped and threw his arms around him.

"Gandalf! Why its been ages since you've been to visit." Gandalf laughed and returned the embrace.

"Ah, old friend, how could I possibly miss your hundred and eleventh birthday." While Robin inwardly boggled at the idea that the spry hobbit was more than three times her age, Bilbo laughed and invited them inside.

It took longer than it probably should have to get them all comfortably seated, with Merry and Pippin's open gawking, Sam's awkward stammering, and Frodo's embarrassment, but eventually Bilbo was satisfied that everyone had been taken care of.

"Nico." Said Sam, after the introductions had been taken care of, "That's an unusual name." Robin smiled.

"No more unusual than Gamgee, I suppose." She said, laughing.

"Yes, but that's his last name." Added Pippin, leaning forward over the table. Robin paused and tilted her head.

"Last name?" She asked, confused.

"His family name." Frodo clarified.

"Do you put your family names last?" Robin asked, fascinated.

"I take it 'Nico' is not your given name?" Asked Gandalf, smiling into his wine. Robin laughed, delighted. What an unusual culture these hobbits had!

"My name is Robin. Nico was my mother's family name."

"How strange!" Said Merry, oblivious to the kick Frodo aimed his way under the table.

"I find your customs very unique." Said Robin, sliding into research mode. "I have traveled to hundreds of islands and I have never come across anything quite like this. Is this a hobbit custom or common to the whole area?" While Frodo and his friends rushed to answer all of Robin's questions, Gandalf turned to speak quietly to Bilbo.

"Islands?" He asked softly, his mind spinning with possibilities. He had never heard of any Men living past the sea.

"She said that her captain and crew mate were exploring a cavern out on the open sea when they somehow appeared in our river. It's very odd, their ship, it looks like a giant metal fish."

"A _metal_ fish?" Gandalf asked, shocked. If had had had any doubts, they had been laid to rest. There were no nations of men with the skill to create such a thing."

"Do you think they're trouble?" Asked Bilbo cautiously. He liked his new friends, but he trusted Gandalf's opinion. If he thought the strangers were dangerous then they probably were.

"No." Said Gandalf slowly, watching the woman thralling the young hobbits with a tale. "But I do not believe they are from Middle Earth."

"Don't tell me they are from the Undying Lands!" Said Bilbo. Gandalf shook his head.

"I do not know, my friend, but I hope to find out."

000ooo000

End of Chapter


	5. Calm Waters

**Calm Waters**

**A/n: Hey, so it's been forever. I'm updating this again but I can honestly say I have almost no interest in this story. It's been almost a year since I've watched OP (not from lack of interest but lack of wifi) and I really feel like I can't do the OP characters justice. So, one more update and then I'll probably abandon this, at least until I finish my Peace Corp service. Anyone who is interested in adopting the story please let me know.**

**Also, to everyone who mentioned me not giving Bilbo enough credit? It's been sixty years since he picked up a sword, of course it seems like he hasn't got any training. However, I'm sure we all know that he'll surprise his guests before the story ends.**

000ooo000

"May I help?"

Robin ducked under the archway and stepped into the kitchen where Mr. Baggins was chopping vegetables.

"We have a chef, but I've been feeding myself for years. I know my way around an oven." Bilbo smiled delightedly and waved her towards a large wooden bowl filled with apples.

"Would you mind peeling those? I've hardly started these dratted things and I'd hate for dinner to be late." When she nodded and took a seat, he turned back to his task and started to hum a lively tune. They worked in silence; the only sounds the rhythmic thud of his knife and the soft noise of the hobbit town at the bottom of the hill. Robin took her chance to observe there host while he was distracted.

Despite his height, he looked no different than most men she had come across in her travels. Soft curls with a hint of their old gold, laugh lines around his eyes and mouth, and a soft belly that spoke of good times and happy living. In fact, other than his feet, he could have been any of the countless strangers kind enough to take in a lost girl for a night.

It made her fingers twitch.

"I don't know many people who would take in three unexpected guests on such short notice. Especially ones twice their size." She said softly, not raising her eyes from the apple in her hand even when she sensed him turn to look at her.

"You aren't the first unexpected guests I've ever had to room." He admitted after a moment, amusement coloring the dry words." He paused and the chopping resumed. "Though I must admit, you are the first pirates." Robin laughed and twirled the knife in her fingers.

"It is fortunate, then, that you did not get our _entire_ crew. We are a happy bunch but rather… destructive when we're together."

"I've never seen a real ship." Bilbo slid the vegetables into a pot of water and set it on the stove. "I'd image you must have a large company."

"Not at all. In fact, there are only nine of us."

"Nine!" Bilbo's eyes widened. "How is that possible? Surely you would need more for… for fighting, and sailing, and such?" Robin laughed and finished her last apple, reaching for spices he had sent out.

"We are a very talented crew." Bilbo shook his head and muttered something about 'thirteen' that she couldn't catch. "You are not wrong, however. We are one of the smallest crews who are… well known. I believe the most common size is twenty to forty members. I've even heard of a crew numbering over a hundred, though that was a very large ship."

"Extraordinary." Bilbo breathed, eyes distant as he imagined the image. "I would dearly love to see that someday." He laughed, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts, and pulled a raw roast from the cold box. "Now, on to more immediate matters. How do you like your lamb?"

00000

Luffy would've said he had gone to heaven but his mouth was too full of ale to comply. Merry, who was busy trying to crack open another of Mr. Baggins' third best ale barrels, paused to watch the Man down his fourth mug in a matter of seconds.

"Vána's tits! Where are you putting all that!?"

"Merry!" Cried Frodo, scandalized even as he watched Luffy in awe. Pippin nudged his cousin and shook his head.

"Honestly, Merry. You heard Da, it's 'Vána's sweet arse', not 'tits'."

"I'm branching out." The latter muttered, finally opening the barrel. "And besides, your Da was so toshed he could barely remember her name, let alone what he was swearing by."

"Would you two shut up? Or do you want Mr. Baggins to wander in here and see you in his best ale?"

"_Third_ best, Sam. Honestly, what kind of hobbit are you?"

"A sober one." Sam grabbed a mug and took a long pull. "Unfortunately."

"It's too early to deal with this." Frodo rubbed his forehead, nursing his own mug.

Merry and Pippin paused in their shoving to stare at him.

"It's six in the evening." Pippin said, giving Merry one last shove off his stool. Frodo lay his head down on the table.

"Like I said, _too early_."

There was a clink and a long, satisfied sigh. Frodo looked up in time to see Luffy pat his distended stomach and lean back against the wall.

"Shishishi. So good!"

Frodo smiled and sat up a little, scooting over to let Merry pull himself up into the seat next to him.

"That was impressive." He murmured over the rim of his mug. The pirate laughed, almost tipping himself out of his own seat.

"Almost hobbit impressive!" Merry agreed, bouncing. "If you were three feet shorter, I'd swear you're a hobbit in disguise."

The Man stopped laughing and leaned forward, eyes bright.

"Hobbit?" He poked Sam in the cheek, causing the hobbit to blush and move out of reach. "Hoooobit! I wanna be a hobbit! How do you be a hobbit?" Pippin and Merry exchanged looks, grins widening. Merry threw an arm around the pirate and poured his mug into Luffy's.

"Why you've got to beat one of us in a drinking contest, of course. Everyone knows hobbits are the best drinkers."

"And dancers!" added Merry, who was filling up another mug.

"Yosh! I challenge you!" Luffy threw back his mug.

"Wait!" cried Merry, hurrying to catch up.

"Who? Who is he challenging?" Sam asked, scooting farther away from the three contesters, all madly drinking.

"Both of them?" Frodo finished his own drink and topped both their mugs. They watched as Luffy finished his drink and moved on to downing his own barrel.

Uncle was either going to kill them… or join in.

000000

Houses inside hills were weird but Zoro couldn't argue the comfort of sleeping on a grassy roof. The warm summer sun beat down on him, contrasting with the cool grass against his back. Faintly, he could hear his captain's laughter somewhere below him and the clink of Robin's cup as she drank tea with their host. Their strange, tiny host who ate almost as much as Luffy. Zoro shuddered and threw an arm over his eyes to block out the light. Maybe if he pretended he was on the Sunny, he could actually get a nap.

His peace lasted exactly seven minutes until something hard poked his cheek. His eyes flew open in surprise, hands going to his swords as he looked for the intruder he had somehow missed sneaking up on him, when his eyes fell on his attacker. Or rather, attackers.

"Hey, whatcha doing?" asked a bright eyed toddler holding a long stick, peering over the crest of the roofhill. "Why ya taking a nap on the roof? Dontcha got a bed?"

The boy didn't even reach Zoro's knee but there was no fear in his eyes when he poked Zoro's boot. The two girls behind him, however, looked ready to bolt at the first sign of danger. Annoyed, he reached down and plucked the stick out of the boy's hand and tossed it into a field. Snorting at the startled squeal from the girls, he rolled over and closed his eyes.

"Heeey!" A finger replaced the stick, jabbing the swordsman in the back of the head. "That was _my_ stick!"

"If you didn't want to lose it," Zoro growled, still lying on his side, "then you should've held on to it better."

There was a pause behind him and the poking stopped. However, just as he convinced himself that the little pains were gone, a timid voice asked next to his ear.

"Ca-can I touch your sword?" Zoro opened his eyes and looked into a large pair of blue eyes. The girl was leaning over him almost to the point of overbalancing. "Please?" Zoro sighed and sat up. It was obvious he wouldn't be getting his nap. Ignoring their gasps, he untied one of his swords and held it up so the sheath caught the light. Almost tenderly, the blue eyed girl wiped her hands on her skirt and touched the smooth case.

"It's so pretty!" Her brown eyed friend giggled and ran a tiny hand over the hilt.

"Why do you got 3?" The boy demanded, tugging on Zoro's sleeve. "Are ya afraid you'll lose one?"

"No!" Zoro snapped, standing up and replacing the sword at his side. "I…" he paused, realizing that they probably wouldn't understand any technical explanation. "I use a three sword style."

"How do you hold the third one?!" asked the brown eyed girl excitedly. Zoro studded the three eager faces and sighed. Rubbing his forehead, he toed a line across the grass.

"Alright. Don't move past that line or I'll throw you in the river."

00000

Gandalf watched in amusement as the strange Man showed a few faunts a complicated sword movement. None of the four had noticed the old wizard perched on stone wall farther down the road, watching with amusement as first the lad poked the pirate with a stick and then the girls convince him to entertain them. There really was nothing more adorable than hobbit faunts, Gandalf mused. He honestly hadn't expected the Man to give in but he supposed even hardened hearts failed against pleading eyes. It was a relief to know that despite their fearsome scars, Bilbo's strange guests could show kindness. It boded well for the future.

"Bilbo, my friend, when you invited me to your birthday," Gandalf said aloud to his pipe, "I was not expecting it to be quite this interesting." He sent a puff of smoke the shape of a ship up into the air.

"Or this worrisome."

000ooo000

**End of the Chapter**

* * *

**Author's note of Inoke Chaz: Hi there! From the next chapter, I'll be in charge of continuing the story. See ya on chapter six!**


	6. How Do You Talk With A Magician, Strawha

**Author's Note 1:** Hi there (SALUUUUUUUUUT!)! The name's **Inoke Chaz** and after having a talk with **Zemmiphobia**, the original author, I'll be taking over her story **"Mystery"** to continue and, eventually, give it a proper end. I've been waiting for her update for a long time and after reading her note, I just thought that abandoning a story with a great, interesting start would be a waste. And you'll be disappointed. Not to worry: we came to an agreement and I'll continue **"Mystery"**. I just hope it will be good enough for you to continue reading and liking the story – even though I'm French, let's just hope my English would be darn good for you to understand.

Someone had raised a very good point about the Strawhats joining the Fellowship of the Ring: it will be _way_ too easy for them. _Way_ too easy. Since they've appeared in Middle Earth after the time-skip and Marine Ford war, Luffy and Zoro would just thorougly thrash every enemy all by themselves – I wouldn't even be surprised if they managed to defeat the Witch King of Angmar, since they are now familiar with Haki. Robin could also defend herself pretty well, she wouldn't need someone to protect her. Huh... yeah, it leaves me to wonder what plot the author had had in mind and if I can manage some twists here. In fact...I just realized it could be harder than we all originally thought. If you guys have any ideas you want us to put in upcoming chapters – yeah, _us_. Because Zemmiphobia is the original author and I'm just another author agreeing to continue her story, she deserves to give some ideas as well. Oh, and the **rating also changed to M from now on**, since I've got interesting ideas for two characters.

**/!\ Full credits will go to Zemmiphobia, the original author of "Mystery". /!\**

OK, on with this chapter!

* * *

**Chapter Six: How Do You Talk With A Magician, Strawhats?**

Monkey D. Luffy was wonderfully easy to baffle when it came to the most incredible thing. From the time Robin had initially joined his crew to share his adventure she had carefully and patiently analyzed everyone to adjust herself in and adapt to their behaviour around her – it took them _months_ to finally accept a former enemy within their crew both as a crewmate and friend, because who could know if she were to betray them? And when all the Strawhat crew literally thrashed their way in Enies Lobby to save her, Robin had come to realize that friendship wasn't something you could just give up in order to spare your most cherished companions a sentence worse than death. Giving up on living, aspiring to achieve your dream wasn't something you could say to Monkey D. Luffy, not on his watch. Not if he had something to say about it.

So Robin and Zoro didn't look that surprised to watch his jaw hit the ground and his eyes bulge out of their sockets when the archaeologist told him about their whereabouts in Middle Earth. They were standing outside old Bilbo's house so they could talk privately of more important matters, ignoring the curious children who seemed keen on spying on the strange trio of Men and learning something new about them (as if hiding from someone who was familiar with Haki could be _that_ easy but again, these strange folks called 'Hobbits' were completely ignorant about their world). Zoro almost wondered if he could just glare at the children to scare the heck out of them but the stern stare Robin was giving him was enough to deflate him to do so.

"We're no longer in the New World?!" he almost shrieked, scandalized and astounded. "How is that possible?!"

"Think about it, Captain," Robin told him calmly, crossing her arms under her voluptuous chest. "Since I've been questioning Mr Baggins about our actual whereabouts in Hobbiton, he had never heard of any of the Blues or even the way to the Grand Line. He had seemed genuinely curious and ignorant. I've asked for a map to verify the truthfulness of his words but he had sounded sincere to me; what are the chances that we'd been somehow transported to... _somewhere else_?" She frowned lightly upon the weirdness of her own words, but it sounded more logical to her, even if it creeped the archaeologist out.

"You think that cave we were investigating has something to do with us being stuck here?" Zoro inquired, eyeing the tall woman.

Robin hesitated, frowning even more. "There is a high possibility that whatever we found in that cave is the cause that brought us here. Which is more disturbing for some reason: Mr Baggins told me that it would take us a month to reach the nearest beach and –"

" – a MONTH?!" Luffy shouted, his scream echoing all around them and occasionally scaring the hell out of the hiding children. But the Strawhats paid them no mind as they only focused on each other and the astonishment of Monkey D. Luffy. He sputtered, struggled to use the correct words to express his shock but his state was enough for his friends to understand. "How...how the hell – it's terrible, we – we've got to get back there!"

_But how? This is one of the most unthinkable problems I've ever encountered in my life_, Robin thought as she observed her captain panic over the situation, stressing around for the very first time and spouting nonsense she absent-mindly tuned out to think. The problem was indeed intricate and overly serious, well beyond her understanding; the archaeologist had never heard of parallel worlds or anything of this kind, where they would no doubt discover other kinds of populations and systems they wouldn't understand because they were strangers. Outsiders. Of all the Poneglyphs she had translated during her travels, none talked about other worlds – none such as Middle Earth and its foreign countries. To know more about this other 'world' Robin needed to do a lot of research, review all of the history of Middle Earth without missing one single point – _everything_, _anything_ could be of precious use if they wanted to return to their adventure and friends back in the New World. As she realized that it was going to be even more difficult than having to face all the dangers in the Grand Line, Robin almost cursed (which was unusual to her.). She wasn't going to panic like her captain, who was in the middle of a verbal fight with his first mate. It was obvious that now Luffy had taken in the seriousness of their situation, there would be one hell of screams of despair and frustration from her captain as long as they don't have any ideas on how they could go back. _Oh joy_.

And there was the fact that their knowledge of Middle Earth was next to zero; Hobbits weren't the only kind of creatures in these countries if she recalled Bilbo's tales of his adventure, there were Dwarves and Elves. Men also existed. From what Bilbo had told her, Elves and Dwarves had been bitter enemies for quite a long time after a particularly disastrous event for the Dwarves and the ignorance the Elves, their supposed friends and allies who should have helped them during their time of grief and forced exile away from their homes. Robin had never liked being ignorant and that wasn't going to change in this other 'world', getting help meant having to do plenty of research – something she just happened to love. Luffy wouldn't be of any help and Zoro would, as always, wander off and get lost or sleep, thus leaving the archaeologist to study on her own.

"Robin?" Zoro's voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she raised her gaze to meet his inquiring and only functioning eye. "Shall we ask the old man in grey?" Seeing her blink in confusion, he lightly turned his head to look over his shoulder. "He's been listening to us ever since our loudmouth of a captain started shouting, so why don't we ask him?"

The archaeologist turned around. The elderly man and Bilbo's friend known as Gandalf was approaching them slowly, his aged face adorned a gentle smile that looked innocent even though there was a twinkle in his blue eyes – meaning that he must have heard a lot from their conversations thanks to Luffy's loud rambling. Robin stared silently at him, distrustful. She had learnt to be quite distant and distrustful towards everyone in the past before meeting the Strawhats; whoever had seen Nico Robin as a child with a bounty of eight millions of Berrys would call the Marines, hoping to get the reward of her bounty. She knew it won't be the same thing in Middle Earth because it was a foreign 'world', but they had to be extra careful.

Gandalf reached them with a smile. "Is everything alright?" he asked them gently but his gaze was focused on a suddenly depressed Luffy, sitting on the ground as he sulked. The news of being stranded that far from the New World had shocked him to a point that he seemed out of it, ignoring everything else. His mind must be whirling around billions of thoughts and, Robin was ready to bet all her knowledge, focusing on the One Piece.

Robin shared a cautious look with the swordsman, who shrugged with a grunt, then reported her focus back on the elder man. "We've hit a problem that seems to be more intricate and troublesome than we originally thought and we were wondering if you would be willing to lend us a hand about, Mr. Gandalf?" she smiled slightly when he inclined his head, telling her to continue. "This isn't something you would accept right away, and we'll definitely understand your reaction once you've heard what we're about to tell you."

His curiosity now piked at its best, Gandalf nodded hesitantly.

The archaeologist's lips twitched, almost curving into a smile. "Middle Earth isn't our original world, as you must have assumed by now. How my friends and I ended up here is a complete mystery we can't explain, sadly. Where we come from, there aren't creatures such as Hobbits and Elves, but our world sure does have its own arsenal of monsters, mysteries and powers you couldn't even imagine. There are countless of different cultures on each island our pirate crew visits on the Grand Line – the Grand Line is the name given to the wide and maybe infinite ocean all pirate crews and ordinary people travel on to reach an island. So to be clear, we appear to have been...stranded very far away from our world. 'Transported' would be the right and only word to explain this."

Taking in Gandalf's widened eyes, she continued. "Confusing, isn't it? But we assure you that I'm telling the truth, where would be the sense in lying about something this serious? My friends and I were investigating a mysterious cave that emitted a strange glow when we got caught in a sort of whirlpool. Then the next thing we knew, we were in Bilbo Baggins's home, not knowing how we got in Middle Earth in the first place." Robin sighed deeply as she frowned at the old man. "I had no idea the situation would be this worrying because of your ignorance of the New World and the Grand Line, including the leading pirate crews, but we certainly hope that you won't mind helping us to find a way back to our friends and the New World, where we were heading towards our next destination."

_So they don't belong to the Undying Lands after all, how confusing_, Gandalf thought as his mind whirled with thousands of imaginative thoughts about what this lovely female pirate has just revealed to him. The Maia had thought, since the Undying Lands were a country he wasn't familiar with and certainly full of mysteries even stranger than Hobbits, that those three individuals would probably belong to an unknown race of people living in those lands where the Eldar sailed never to come back in Middle Earth but...what this lady just said was just incredible. There were no Elves, Dwarves nor even Orcs in this ocean of theirs they called 'the Grand Line'? Now he understood Bilbo's mirth and enthusiasm upon talking with them, those pirates – if they truly were – were absolutely different from the corsairs of Umbar; this kindness they could show was sincere and not deceptive, Gandalf could tell. Of all his years in Middle Earth, he had rarely seen any bigger smile on a boy's face than this straw-hatted man's since Thorin Oakenshield's and his nephews' death.

He had to sit down, because this was a bit overwhelming. Carefully slumping on a pretty big pumpkin that was thankfully nearby, Gandalf let out a long sigh as he viewed the three strangers with wary eyes. The black-haired lady hadn't strayed her gaze away from him once, confident and somewhat cold at the same time as she explained their situation, and the green-haired swordsman (Seriously, _green hair_? Gandalf had had a hard time not bursting out laughing after seeing him for the very first time.) had been staring at him the whole time, quiet and listening. And the young boy with the straw-hat? Still in his foul mood, mumbling something along the words such as '_One Piece_', '_New World_' and... '_Sanji's meat_'. He chuckled and shook his head at this: he was so similar to Hobbits in many ways than he could imagine.

_And this boy claims to be their captain._

Robin stirred him from his clouding thoughts. "Mr. Gandalf? Is everything alright?" she asked him politely, her eyes inquiring.

"Yes. Yes, I...just need to let all this sink in," he answered, still bemused, which brought an amused smile on Robin's lips and a snort from Zoro. "This is mostly incredible and even more than I could have thought, to think that other realms could exist besides Middle Earth and such as yours must be –"

"Please, don't get carried away because of my words," the archaeologist interrupted, her tone as serious as before. "While we are as ignorant about all the dangers Middle Earth must be overflowing with as newborn babies, the New World and the Grand Line are equally dangerous. Those who dare to sail on this sea know the consequences; the Grand Line requires not only strenght and bravery but also a determination made of steel, courage and skills you would need if you were to achieve a dream at any cost. No matter how crazy your dream may be, you would do and face anything to see it come true, right?" She smiled as Gandalf's already incredulous gaze turned even more puzzled and gestured towards Zoro and Luffy. "As pirates, we all have a bounty on our head and bounty hunters are always high on our tails to get the reward for our capture. Or death," she added with a wry smile she shared with the green-haired swordsman, which drew a sharp gasp from the magician. "Our captain Monkey D. Luffy has recently seen his bounty being raised to 400,000 000 Berrys – this is the currency of our world, in case you're wondering – and this is the highest of our crew. Zoro's bounty has also increased, rising from 120,000 000 to 180,000 000 Berrys, thus making it the second highest bounty of the Strawhats. And mine is worth 80,000 000 Berrys. So Middle Earth may also have pirates, but we are far more different than they must be in my opinion."

Gandalf had to breathe for several seconds to let these new informations sink in before finding his tongue, his blue eyes slightly darkening. "I know how pirates are but can I trust _you_? You claim to be different but doubts still cloud my judgement; the corsairs of Umbar are vile and cruel, always despising the welfare of others and greedy to an extent where not even death would stop them from acquiring gold from contracts with foul creatures such as the Orcs or goblins. How _different_ are you from them, my dear?"

"_Well_, aren't you a –" Zoro started with a frown and a glare but was quickly interrupted.

"Hold on, old man. Didn't you hear what Robin just said?"

The voice, cold and serious, belonged to the boy with the straw-hat who had raised his head to look at the magician. Both his voice and gaze were so cold that Gandalf couldn't help but freeze on his spot, startled. Now this behaviour was so reversed from the overly cheerful and carefree nature he had showed earlier with the Hobbits in Bilbo's house that the old Istari sat frozen on his pumpkin, suddenly feeling uneasy because of this heavy atmosphere spreading around him like a halo. He wasn't imagining it, this ominous feeling was indeed coming from this Monkey D. Luffy, who looked as if he'd been insulted in the worst way ever.

His words were just as cold and serious. "I don't know those 'corsairs' of Umpar you just mentionned but I think you're missing a very important point in Robin's explanations: sure, we have dreams. Sure, we desire gold because that ensures us to stay alive and pay for anything that helps for our journey. Sure, we all desire to make them true one day and for this to happen, we'll do anything to defeat whatever that's in our way but it _sure as hell_ doesn't mean that we, Strawhats, _kill_ for our dreams to come true. You don't have to kill whoever is in your way to achieve your goal, I'll be damned before I decide to take one's life because he's an obstacle." His obsidian eyes narrowed as he glared harshly at the magician. "Pirates who kill only for gold or power are the worst of our kind, they are _scum_! They don't even deserve to be called pirates if they don't know the notion of honor!"

Gandalf just stared, astounded. He didn't register Zoro's proud smirk nor Robin's wry smile as he only focused on the boy sitting before him. When a certain Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins found himself to be sensible and anything but deceitful, it meant that Elves weren't the only wise people in Middle Earth; Bilbo's involvment in the Quest of Erebor that had taken place sixty years ago was a proof of courage and bravery that he, Gandalf the Grey, hadn't seen in ages since the Last Alliance between Elves and Men against the Dark Lord Sauron and his army. But the fierce fire in those three pairs of eyes here were vibrant and true, a sign of steely determination that wouldn't be broken so easily and courage that would always be backed up with a friendship also as hard as any metal you could find in Middle Earth – like _mithril_. Monkey D. Luffy's words spoke of experience, as if he had already met pirates similar to the corsairs of Umbar (Gandalf wouldn't correct the boy as he wrongly said the name 'Umbar', even though he found it funny) during his adventure in his ocean.

He wasn't a common pirate. The three of them weren't common pirates. He was right: you don't have to kill whoever is in your way to make your dream come true. _That is what you would have said back then during this unexpected journey towards Erebor, my friend Bilbo_, Gandalf thought with a hearty chuckle as his blue eyes regained their cheerfulness.

"You are a strange one, Monkey D. Luffy," the old Istari said. "Strange. And really hot-headed in your beliefs. But you are making sense and I can feel your sincerity. So," he addressed Robin in a lighter tone. "since you've decided to share your problems with me, I shall explain to you _who_ and _what_ I am in Middle Earth."

Luffy's glare softened to a confused gaze as his two friends glanced at each other in confusion and wonder. "Huh? Wait, you mean that you're not just an old man wearing a pointy hat, lame grey clothes and holding a long stick like wizards? What are you then?"

_This boy is..._ "In Middle Earth, there are also powerful and immortal beings like Elves," Gandalf began, looking at the three pirates who bore an expression of disbelief, and chuckled as he heard Luffy shout '_Elves are immortal?! Awesome!_' before being shut up by his first mate with a punch on his head. "As I was saying, those immortal beings are called 'Maia' and are sent in Middle Earth by higher beings – you could say they are the rulers of our realm – named the 'Valar' for purposes: we are to protect these lands from great evils that strive to extend their malevolent power and take over. We are called 'Istari' or magicians, whatever name fits you well."

A stunned silence fell over them, only to be broken by the seemingly older of the three pirates seconds later. "So," Robin started, her eyes wide in understanding. "if I understand your words correctly, you're –"

"My name is Gandalf the Grey, one of the five Istari sent by the Valar to protect Middle Earth and its peace. Magic is our element against our foul enemies. By the way," he added as he stood up from his pumpkin to stare at the Strawhats with a thoughtful frown on his wrinkled face. "this makes me think about senseless but not impossible theories concerning your presence in Middle Earth; the Valar do not really interefere in the affairs of the realms but if that were the case, then I shall reunite with the Head of the Council to discuss of your situation and how to deal with it."

Suddenly, Gandalf was faced with a pirate captain just inches away from him, obsidian eyes shining with hope and a gigantic smile on his face. The Istari almost jumped, startled. What was up with the young Luffy all of sudden? Two minutes ago he was about to stab him with the most frightening glare after the magician had practically insulted them of being pirate scum like the corsairs of Umbar and now he was...grinning like an overly cheerful elf?

"AWESOME!" he half-shouted, clearly thrilled. "Gundam, will you join my crew?"

Gandalf could only stare, stunned. Once again, Luffy wrongly said his name – but that wasn't the most important thing right now: how come a young pirate captain like Monkey D. Luffy could just _ask_ a magician, a Maia from another realm nonetheless, to join his crew with such easiness? It was incredible and absolutely _uncommon_. However, Gandalf didn't have the time to formulate his negative and gentle refusal as Zoro all but _smashed_ his captain's head with one of his swords, obviously pissed off. Robin was chuckling, laughing at her captain's bluntness and enthusiastic personality. The green-haired swordsman had a vein throbbing on his left temple and was glaring at the slumped younger boy on the ground, his sheated sword still drawn on his head.

_How could he just do this_? Gandalf wondered, amazed at the first mate's daring punch. This must be pretty usual for them. But smashing your captain's head like that was a bit...

"Don't you ask stupid questions like that to someone who is willing to help us, dumbass!" Zoro growled at Luffy, annoyed at his captain's ever enthusiastic demeanor to get someone new in their crew.

"Huh...OK, I'm sorry," Luffy mumbled, holding his throbbing head with teary eyes.

Robin chuckled again, her eyes shining in amusement. "But that would be undoubtedly helpful to have a wizard in our crew, you're right captain," she said, ignoring Zoro's glare.

"Don't encourage him!"

* * *

Her mind whirling with endless thoughts about everything and anything, Robin sat in old Bilbo's home in a comfortable chair, a cup of hot tea accompanying in her slender hands. A light frown marred her beautiful face as she recalled the conversation with the 'magician'; the Grand Line was surely full of countless mysteries that had yet to be discovered, waiting to be found, but what Middle Earth had in store seemed to be as mysterious as her own world. What Gandalf said about their presence in Arda – Middle Earth's other name – could be both troublesome and intriguing; if this was the work of the Valar or whatever force beyond measures, then there were logical reasons to reflect on. Other logical, yet insane reasons Robin would find worrying.

Middle Earth had its lot of history and mysteries she would love to uncover and know to add to her already large knowledge, Elves and Dwarves being bitter enemies since a fateful day was an important matter she wanted to understand as much as possible if they were to encounter them during their 'vacation' in Arda. As an archaeologist and the last of her kind ever since the tragedy of Ohara, Robin had vowed to uncover the Forgotten History and every mystery that lay hidden in any island and would probably help her in her research of the Rio Poneglyph. _Who knows_? Robin mused as she swallowed a gulp of her delicious tea. Anything would be useful in its own way. She could ask for books of every nation to read, to drown into their history with this gluttony of wanting to study everything that could fall into her hands and that would make her happy for days until she was finished. But the matter of her presence along Zoro's and Luffy's in Middle Earth could be a problem and that was what worried Robin the most. Her frown deepened as she discarded her happy thoughts about the knowledge of Middle Earth.

Whoever or whatever was responsible for them being in this foreign world must have had reasons to draw them here and separate the Strawhats once again – as if the time-skip hadn't been enough after the Warlord Bartholomew Kuma had pounced on them in Sabaody Archipelago and used his Devil Fruit abilities to send them overseas, alone and on their own. Nami and Usopp must be going crazy by now, yelling around because two of their strongest warriors and their cunning archaeologist were now gone in a foreign world, dragging Chopper in their panic-stricken state. The archaeologist chuckled darkly to herself as she lightly shook her head, though this vision didn't help to lighten her mood. She wasn't the strongest fighter in their crew but with her Devil Fruit abilities and intelligence, she could defend herself quite well against her foes. Everyone else, except for Luffy, Zoro and Sanji (who were the strongest fighters in the Strawhat crew), could also manage very well. They should be fine until they get back in the Thousand Sunny. Yes, they should be fine. They will be.

_I don't know if this is the Valar's doing or something else's but until Gandalf finds us a way to get back in the New World, the three of us are stuck in Middle Earth_, Robin thought grimly, her eyes wandering towards a nearby window. The sun was setting, casting his last rays in Hobbiton. The preparations for Bilbo's birthday were coming to an end and she could already hear the children's cheerful cries about food – oh, was that Captain's cries of happiness as he heard he was going to fill his formidably extendable stomach with meat and ale? Bilbo was celebrating his one hundred eleventh birthday, which seemed to be really incredible for a Hobbit to live that long; Elves were immortal and Dwarves could also live long, but _Hobbits_? Not that long as she remembered Gandalf's words and his thoughtful gaze. Robin hadn't been that impressed, considering that giants of Elbaf back in the Grand Line could live to three hundred years, which was an incredible lifespan for starters.

"_Hobbits cannot live that long, this is just plain unthinkable," Gandalf had told her earlier. He grinned at her. "But you can live and see the most incredible things if you just believe it is possible. Bilbo Baggins had lived his share of adventure sixty years ago with a company of thirteen Dwarves from Durin, it had been both an extraordinary and a painful experience for him. He deserves to live his last years in this ever peaceful Shire."_

Robin put a hand under her chin, eyes gazing at nothing in particular. "Unthinkable, huh?" she murmured to herself.

It brought a mysterious smile to her lips. If everything was possible in her world, then it would likely be the same in Middle Earth; the Strawhats weren't strangers to problems more troublesome than Luffy's astounding ability to put himself into a tricky situation wherever they go and to think that Middle Earth had its own lot of dangers, adventures and whatever madcap troubles would only draw the future Pirate King to live it to its end. Captain's orders were absolute, Zoro and Robin will follow him to the end. The archaeologist would likely discover many things during their 'vacation' and she admitted that she was excited to begin a journey in these lands, where even foul creatures such as Orcs wouldn't sway her decisions.

Arda was like a second Grand Line if you put it that way, minor the Elves and Dwarves and Hobbits – she'd be damned if these kinds of creatures were to exist in the New World but equally thrilled. An unknown world where countless of possibilities existed, where other races you wouldn't believe in only in fairy tales, where you would taste the thrill of wandering around such vaste countries and discover unknown cultures. Robin was quite eager to go.

"It should be interesting," she said with her small smile widening a bit.

A familiar cry of happiness drew her attention towards the green, rounded door of Bag's End. It wrenched open and her captain burst in, a chicken leg in each hand. The archaeologist chuckled in amusement, drawing Luffy's attention. His obsidian eyes found Robin and he grinned widely.

"Robin, you gotta try the food!" he exclaimed. "It's wonderful, though it's not Sanji's cooking! Come, come!" And he was out again in a flash, returning to the party held outside in Bilbo's honor.

Chuckling once again she rose from her seat, wondered if Zoro had managed to take on Hobbits in a drinking game, then followed after her captain towards the party. Tonight they should have a bit of fun before another great journey, because Nico Robin was all but ready and eager to challenge Middle Earth to surrender whatever secret it hid and somehow wanted her to uncover.

* * *

"Another one!" the green-haired swordsman demanded loudly as he slammed his empty tankard on the wooden table. This ale was great stuff – a bit different from his dear booze – but still good. And he would gladly beat that shaggy-looking Hobbit to this game where he considered himself to be extremely good. That greedy, orange-haired witch was also talented to hold her liquor but still, this was his thirteenth so far!

And he was as sober as ever. That ale was _nothing_! Zoro grinned as he was handed his fourteenth tankard, took and chugged it down calmly under the cheering of many Hobbits around him before slamming it back on the table with a triumphant grin on his tanned face. His opponent – the shabby-looking Hobbit – groaned in frustration, glared at the pirate and bravely chugged his own tankard, ignoring the stranger's amused snort. This action was met with more cheering as other tankards were being prepared.

"You're good, short stuff," Zoro laughed in good humor. "I hope your stomach will hold it until we settle this, because I've got no intention of losing to ya!"

The Hobbit looked incensed, though a smile threatened to curve his lips. "You heard him, fellas? What are you waiting for? Bring the tankards!"

Zoro threw his head back as he laughed hard, clearly enjoying himself. Oh, he could go for more!

* * *

His stomach was already bulging over his dark shorts and yet Monkey D. Luffy was anything but over – the food was just so. _Good_! His appetite seemed to baffle the other Hobbits who still hadn't seen him stuff his stomach as if he were one of them – a full-fledged Hobbit! His hands were grabbing lots of food everywhere and on _every_ plate, dragging indignant complaints from many Hobbits around the table, his mouth was happily swallowing what presented to its teeth, eagerly munching meat and anything that fell in his greedy hands. Slowing down? He didn't know that and everyone in his crew was sure it had never belonged in his vocabulary – Luffy himself was sure he didn't know what 'slowing down' meant when it came to eating food. When the food was good, why on Earth would you slow down? Just eat as quickly as possible or it will be out of your reach!

Merry rounded on him, still astounded and a bit offended. "Luffy, _wait_!" he exclaimed. "We're not short on food, so would you slow down a little?"

"Why?" the pirate captain managed to say between bites. "It's so good, why should... I slow down even for... a little?"

"Aren't you afraid of choking to death!?" Pippin wailed besides him.

"Nope!" Luffy replied happily as he grabbed another plate belonging to another complaining Hobbit and emptied it of its contents.

_Food, food, food_! His mind was chanting like a mantra. If his friends back in the Grand Line could do nothing against his monstruous appetite, then Hobbits surely were as powerless as Elves would also be when Monkey D. Luffy will visit them. Even so, the ethereal Eldar would be in much deeper trouble when the pirate captain's loud screams of despair and disbelief will shake their homes for days and neither Robin or Zoro would lift one finger to calm him down.

* * *

The party wasn't so bad. On the contrary, Robin was actually having fun with those cute creatures Hobbits were; she hadn't laughed so willingly with anyone else besides her crew she considered as her only family in the world (the basterds who dared to call themselves her family after her late mother Nico Olvia, had abandoned her to pursue her research, had been personally dealt with because of this Buster Call on Ohara.) and her smile wasn't fake at all. Robin was a naturally reserved woman due to her horrendous, tumultuous past and she mostly kept her real thoughts to herself, avoiding contact with people unless it was necessary – then she had learned that whatever you do in the Grand Line, you have to defend yourself against anyone who would wish you the worst. Even if you have to dirty your hands in blood. Assassin, right hand of Sir Crocodile of the Seven Warlords of the sea, then one of the Strawhats, Nico Robin had achieved quite a lot.

It wasn't so often she would let strangers from another world see past the many masks she had created over the years. As Hobbits were too small to be considered as threats – but she wouldn't underestimate those tiny creatures – the archaeologist had felt quite at ease with Mr. Bilbo and his nephew; this kindness they had shown was sincere enough to ease the tension that had built up in her body and mind, so she wouldn't have to break their spine with her powers after all (that would have been downright funny to see how they would have reacted to their Devil Fruit abilities.). Frodo's eyes held such innocence that she had directly known that he musn't have seen much beyond his precious Shire – it was a shame, really. Middle Earth must be quite the adventure to live, Luffy would _eat_ all Shire's meat just to set out on another adventure. It would be fun on one hand, but on the other hand, it could also turn out to be another disaster-to-be if they were to cause more chaos because of one of her captain's best known ability to wreak havoc everywhere he goes. It would be hard to hold her laughter back if Luffy managed to...no, she shouldn't think about something like _that_. Nevertheless, it would be fun.

The black-haired lady moved towards the Hobbit who was in charge of serving drinks and smiled at him. "Can I have another tankard of this delicious mead, please?" she asked politely as she handed him her empty mug.

The waiter, a young golden-haired Hobbit who seemed to be in his twenties (again, that must one of Middle Earth's tricks about its strange and unique creatures, because she suspected that he was at least slightly older than she was.), sent Robin a wide toothy smile. "Aye, aye, lassie! Give it to me!" he exclaimed merrily as he took the tankard from her slender hand, which made Robin chuckle in amusement.

"Enjoying yourself, I see?"

"I _am_," Robin answered to Gandalf with a smile. "Plus, your fireworks are quite impressive. You sure know how to entertain Hobbits, Mr. Gandalf." The magician laughed merrily, sending Robin a small wink, and grabbed a full tankard. "Even we Strawhats know how to party whenever we feel like it. It's always nice to relax sometimes before work."

"Oh?" Gandalf replied with honest surprise lacing his tone. "So, pirates can party in the Grand Line? And here I supposed that pirates could not afford to enjoy themselves a little, the three of you just proved me wrong. Your two companions here have an outstanding stamina." His gaze was directed somewhere in the back, and Robin's followed suit. Once she found the sore eye that was Zoro's mop of green hair, the archaeologist couldn't contain her fit of chuckles upon seeing his opponent's state and the expression of astonishment accompanying all the crowd around them.

_So our swordsman managed to defeat a Hobbit in his drinking game_, Robin realized with a smile, amused. Zoro was laughing his head off as he patted the defeated Hobbit on his shoulder, clearly unaffected by the alcohol running in his system. She could count twenty-seven empty tankards settled before him, thus making him the winner of his favorite game and hobby. Chuckling once again she scanned the crowd of people all around the place in search of her gluttony captain, her blue eyes taking in everything, only to find Luffy slumped on the ground on his back; after eating more than five Hobbits his stomach was bulging over his pants and ripping his shirt open, his huge scar over his torso now visible to everyone. Her captain had a wide, content smile on his face as he screamed his happiness for meat. He seemed so happy, at ease.

_In peace_.

Good, he needed it. The death of the late Portgas D. Ace, also revealed to be the long lost son of Gol D. Roger, had hit him more than everyone in the crew could have imagined – Robin hadn't known and met Fire Fist Ace like the first members of the Strawhat crew but after having being told that he was Luffy's brother, sadness had hit her with the strenght of a cannonball. Luffy's tears were something awful to witness, especially after the Strawhats' farewell to the Going Merry that had journeyed with them until its end. And this was a sight Nico Robin never wanted to see again. _Never_. Those tears belonged to a precious friend who had risked his life along with their other companions to save her from a false doom she shouldn't even face because of the somewhat 'danger' she represented as the last survivor of Ohara and the sole archaeologist who could read the Poneglyphs – and Robin wanted to be worth his tears, like the Merry.

She was about to head for the table and grab another plate when a new firework exploded high in the sky, creating a wave of loud cheers and applause from the Hobbits. But as it exploded one more time it turned into a sort of...dragon. Robin watched, fascinated, as the 'dragon' spinned around. She hardly registered Luffy's excited scream but when the firework began to fly towards the ground in direction of the party, the archaeologist instinctively took cover under a table to avoid being burned. Her captain's mind musn't have screamed 'DANGER' yet as he was in stitches and jumping up and down with his belly following every movement, which alarmed Robin; all Hobbits were running for their lives and the sole imbecile to stay put was wearing a straw-hat and had his belly extended to a ridiculous way, which alarmed Robin. Zoro must have taken cover as well, so _why the hell __was__ this buffoon __not_ –

"Luffy, take cover!" she shouted at him. When he appeared not to listen to her she scowled, almost cursing her captain's carefree character over such dangerous things – like that damn firework dragon, which was about to roast him like his favorite meat! "_Luffy_!"

"OHOOOOOO, _AWESOOOOOOOME_!" the dolt just kept screaming and bouncing, his obsidian eyes shining in mirth and excitement.

Robin had faith in her captain, she really did. But _sometimes_, Monkey D. Luffy could be impossibly blind and oblivious to the most dangerous thing around him. He attracted danger like the best magnet in the whole Grand Line!

The dragon firework flew past the Hobbits with an ear-screeching whistle, flew higher then finally exploded in the night sky, illuminating it witht thousands of lights. Loud cheerings erupted from the entertained Halflings, who regained their cheerfullness from this birthday and downright forgot the near-death experience to praise Gandalf's fireworks – Luffy was undoubtedly one of them as he was (unsurprisingly once again) bouncing around, loudly cheering and still oblivious to another near-death experience. A quick check with her Devil Fruit abilities told Robin that Zoro was alright too, cursing the wizard for bringing 'such annoying and troublesome fireworks'. The archaeologist sighed in relief and a small smile crept its way back to her lips as she rose from her hideout to take her mead back, now feeling quite safe.

_Really entertaining, this wizard and those tiny creatures_, she thought with a quiet chuckle. _Not as cute and tiny as our doctor but still..._

The only one who wasn't amused by the ruckus his dragon firework has just made was the magician, who caught the two culprits of this 'surprise merriment' and gave them the duty to wash the dishes as punishment; Robin viewed this as funny, daily basis moments on the Thousand Sunny whenever Luffy or Usopp would make Sanji snap for stealing or eating the food he had made for later (dragging Chopper in their schemes, poor reindeer.). Merry and Pippin exactly acted like her captain and Long-Nose, which did well to brighten Robin's mood in a second.

"Well, they sure are a handful as well," she murmured to herself, her smile widening a bit. "Isn't that _familiar_?"

Then a loud cheering for Bilbo, as he was praised to make a speech to his crowd who had come for that special event – not everyone could celebrate his one hundred eleventh birthday, so it was quite exceptional for someone like Bilbo because he happened to be one of the kindest and most honest man (Hobbit, mind you.) Robin had ever met. Her penetrating blue eyes trailed the small, old Hobbit towards his podium, took in the happy grin he sent to everyone, the twinkle in his eyes as he addressed the Bagginses, Tooks – the number of relatives was astonishing, Usopp would have openly gawked at all this to Robin's amusement. Concentrating on the speech, the archaeologist watched as the Hobbit spoke his words of –

_Farewell?_She frowned lightly, a bit confused. The more Bilbo talked about having to take care of things and leaving the more his face closed up, losing its cheerful smile. This was an unusual sight for Robin, unsettled her with uneasiness and confusion. Leaving? Where was he going? A swift look around her confirmed that nobody knew what on earth Bilbo Baggins was talking about, judging by the looks of confusion on every man and woman close to the family. Nobody –

Except for Frodo Baggins, who looked as if he was just realizing that his uncle had had already talked about leaving the Shire.

Bilbo's eyes found Frodo's, where Robin could only decipher one emotion – _resignation_. "Good-bye."

And with that last word, the kind old Bilbo Baggins vanished from sight.

* * *

Astonishment overwhelming his body, Luffy spat the whole content of his tankard on the face of his astounded neighbour as he stared at the now empty space where Bilbo was previously occupying. His eyes were comically bulging out of their sockets, proof of the shock he was feeling right now. The Hobbit could disappear just like that? What. The. _Hell_?

Turning around the captain saw his first mate standing up, just as shocked as he was. "Zoro, did you see that?!" he shouted at the green-haired swordsman, running at him. "He vanished, as if he's just turned invisible!"

"But _how_?" Zoro wondered aloud in the midst of the general gobsmacked crowd. But before he could think of something plausible, Robin reached them. She held an expression of worry on her face. "Robin, could it be...?"

"No," came out the confident response from the smart archaeologist. "The power that any Devil Fruit offers is unique, so it _can't_ be a replica. Besides, that Devil Fruit has already been eaten, right?" Without waiting for a nod she continued. "Zoro, Luffy, can you scan the area to catch Mr. Bilbo's presence with your Haki?"

_Something is wrong. Definitely wrong._

In the midst of the worried crowd calling and looking for the suddenly missing Hobbit, there was an uneasiness picking up in the air; it was unpleasant, cold. _Creepy_. It gave Robin some nasty feeling climbing up her spine, as if she was once again facing the huge death sentence the CP9 and the World Government had thrown onto her shoulders at the young age of eight, one of those dreaded feelings you would never want to have again. _Dread_. And the worst about that?

Nico Robin had no idea why she suddenly felt so worried.


	7. On The Road To Imladris

**Author's Note:** Cool, readers are coming! _Nice_! And also, I once again thank you for your comments and ideas for this fanfiction, I'm really grateful. Your ideas are really interesting and I shall overlook them all.

* * *

**Chapter Seven:**_On The Road To Imladris_

The map that Old Bilbo gave her was quite large – and beautifully drawn. This was the kind of work their orange-haired navigator would admire if she were in Middle Earth. It seemed that it was done by this Hobbit and his precise hands, which amazed Robin; the details were so well made and concise that the archaelogist couldn't lift her eyes from them (anything could be precious if they could find a way out of Middle Earth just like she had thought back at Bilbo's party before he showed them his... interesting 'ability'.), a smile playing on her lips as she ignored the wild ruckus behind her. Even though the three Strawhats didn't know Old Bilbo that much like Gandalf, they felt a little bitter and confused about the elderly Hobbit leaving the Shire and his nephew behind. Well, Zoro couldn't care less and had only muttered in displeasure that he couldn't get to drink more ale, Robin had only mused aloud that Bilbo's decision might not have been the smartest – in her own opinion after having witnessed his not amusing display back at his birthday party – and thought that vanishing in the night with something so horrendous left in Frodo's care was a bit strange. _This thing is surrounded by a very sinister aura,_ Zoro had muttered darkly. And there was one thing Robin could be sure about: Zoro was well acquainted with curses and this one in that golden 'trinket' had seemed pretty powerful and dark.

Hence why Luffy was shaking the poor Hobbit as if he were a mere apple tree, a scowl set on his features. And of course, Luffy didn't care at the moment that an old man should be treated _much better than that_. "You left Frodo behind!" he shouted, insenced. "He's your nephew and you just leave him behind with this stupid reason of yours? What's _wrong_ with you, old shrimp?" He finally shoved his head towards Bilbo's, who yelped in fear, stopped only inches away from the old Hobbit's face and glared daggers at him. Bilbo was able to hold the furious gaze for three seconds before looking away at the unemotional features of the green-haired swordsman, his arms folded on his built torso as he watched his captain berate the old man. _So much for helping him._

"Captain," Robin piped in smoothly even though her blue eyes never left the map, but she knew she had caught his attention. Her face was carefully impassive as she blinked "Even if Mr Baggins doesn't wish to share his thoughts and reasons with us, his decision must still be respected and whether we approve or not, this isn't our place to judge him. Although," she added with a sharp glance towards the elder Hobbit, "this ring he left behind seems to be _a lot_ more than just a _trinket_..."

Robin's words were met with a tense silence as she assessed the Halfling with a pointed look, who cringed and looked away after a few seconds. The guilt was intense in his eyes but there was resignation as well; Bilbo Baggins may regret leaving his innocent nephew behind without informing him – although he must have been quite suspicious for a while because his behaviour seemed to have changed around his family and friends – but somehow, he may have known that this ring had an influence on him and the way he had been overprotective and selfish about it could have eaten his sanity. Just like it had eaten that vile creature's mind from whom he had stolen that 'treasure'. _Mine_, he had sometimes sworn in his mind as he stabbed a newborn spider multiple times until death. _Mine_, he had repeated to the dead corpse of the spider without being conscious of the somewhat crazed look in his usually soft eyes before he realized what his attachment had made him do. Yet he kept the ring.

_He kept that thing for himself and whatever it was...it had had the desired effect on him._

There was a dull thud as Old Bilbo hit the ground rather gracelessly – this was expected from Luffy as the boy was easily distracted and that was kind of unnerving – with a grunt, but the Hobbit wasted no time in berating the straw-hatted captain who just smiled and laughed sheepishly. Bilbo waved it off and resumed walking, paying no heed at the young pirate who tagged along and started asking questions at first but relenting in the end, an amused smile tugging at his lips. Robin and Zoro shared one knowing glance, both silent. The Hobbit may be smiling and joking with their captain but this smile was somehow forced on the wrinkled face and the guilt was now visible both in his smile and eyes. Bilbo Baggins could understand Luffy's reaction towards his decision to leave the Shire – Frodo – behind without even talking to his dear nephew one last time and telling him something that could have made him understand his wanderlust – the wanderlust Gandalf and the Dwarves of Erebor had awakened within him. He had wanted to feel the thrill once again. Once again would have been good. Surely Luffy could understand that. But still... _still_...

The archaelogist and the green-haired swordsman walked behind the duo, both silent. But it wasn't long before Zoro decided to talk. "Oi, Robin," he called, making the older woman glance at him. His sole eye was looking at her with a serious gaze, one that she recognized. His voice, though he spoke in whispers, still covered Luffy's excited voice. "You don't believe a single word of the crap the old midget has told us back at his house before we left with him, do you? Because what he said back there..."

If she believed Bilbo?

_Roronoa Zoro may have only one functioning eye now but he still could see and know when someone was hiding something from him, so Gandalf the Grey was no exception to his instincts. "What the hell is this?" he demanded, not caring if he sounded rude and insolent. From what he had sensed when he used his Haki to detect Bilbo, there was something really dark and evil that clung to the old Hobbit like claws and seemed to plague his mind. It was creepy and held a very sickening aura that disgusted the swordsman; Zoro was used to cursed blades and knew that curses always carried bad omen but this one...this one that clung to Bilbo was... "There's something nasty and clearly evil that clings to the old excited midget right here like a cloak, it reeks of dark energy. Whatever it is, it disturbed my Haki and messed with my senses when I located the old joker," he jerked his thumb towards the small Hobbit, who widened his eyes at the insult but remained quiet. _

_Zoro narrowed his eye dangerously at the magician. "I don't like it," he almost snarled. "so you better have a damn good answer to our questions before I consider cutting you down."_

_Robin trusted Zoro's experience with curses because if there was someone very sensitive to curses in the Straw-Hat crew, it would be the swordsman. Wielding the Sandai Kitetsu and knowing it was a cursed blade was something Zoro wouldn't talk about on his own but he was aware of the burden and consequences it could bring to the wielder; if Old Bilbo was indeed hiding something that was as unhealthy as a slow, lethal sickness that would make you suffer until you beg for death, then why did he look so amused and excited upon using it?_

_Coming to stand besides Zoro the archaelogist looked down at the Hobbit. "Mr Baggins, I believe we do need you to give us some explanations," she stated calmly, boring her piercing eyes into his hesitating gaze. "Please don't try to pretend there's nothing suspicious and weird about you, the way you just vanished into thin air back at your birthday party is anything but normal. It would be pointless to lie to us. And for your information," Robin added with a smile. _

_Bilbo stilled upon seeing it. It wasn't the same smile she sent him when he had accepted the three strangers into his home; this one never reached her ears and didn't have that friendly and gentle aura. It seemed somewhat...cold. Deadly cold and creepy. It sent very unpleasant and sickening chills down his spine. Somehow Robin didn't look so approachable and kind anymore and the fact that she remained so polite made it even worse and frightening. The gleam in her light eyes was also another fact that he had to take her words seriously and she wasn't jesting. Before he knew it his head was nodding quickly, as if his subconscious was aware of the danger this woman could be. Or was._

"_...I have not always been a good person in my life and I'm certainly not afraid to hurt people to have my answers. So please, start. Talking."_

Robin frowned and hummed, silent. Believing Bilbo would mean that she had been satisfied with his answers, that what he had said before they agreed to leave the Shire with him was enough not to ask further questions – of course, _Luffy_ had seemed content with his answers about his interesting display of invisibility at the birthday party and had remained painfully oblivious to the heavy burden that plagued the small Hobbit. When Bilbo had dropped this intriguing golden ring with so much reluctance in his eyes there had been a brief, frightening instant during which Robin had held her breath, Zoro had snarled with intense disgust with a hand on his swords and glared at the 'trinket' so venomously that it could have drilled a hole in the ground and Luffy had looked at a distraught Bilbo and the ring with blinking eyes, obviously missing a good point right here. The Hobbit may have told them the truth just like he may have lied about many things and Robin couldn't tell whether she should believe a part of it or not. Still, frightening Bilbo may not have been a good idea – seeing how he was now careful around her and stuck closer to Luffy whenever she approached him – but it had proved efficient.

For now she knew she couldn't trust Bilbo. There were too many mysteries that lay unspoken and uncovered – mysteries that seemed so dangerous and life-threatening that she wondered if it was worth it. As an archaelogist and the last one from Ohara, Robin couldn't stay silent and do nothing: there seemed to be so many things that Middle Earth could teach her.

"I can't say that I believe _every_ word he told us, because there seemed to be more to it," she finally said, instantly making Zoro look at her. Her frown hadn't disappeared and seemed deeper. "Do you remember how he looked so reluctant to leave without this golden ring? He hadn't wanted to go without it and had only dropped it when Gandalf had reminded him that it was still in his pocket. And there was your reaction to it, Zoro: you had seemed so repulsed and disgusted by it." Her blue eyes held his gaze, firm and inquisitive. There was no gleam in these blue orbs and the seriousness he could see was intense. "Tell me, how would you describe that feeling you felt with that ring so close to you?"

How Zoro would describe that aura? He wondered about it, without feeling how his mouth curved into the same snarl he had upon being close to the golden ring.

_Sickening. Very dark, sickening and malevolent. Zoro had his share of curses with his Sandai Kitetsu as one of his swords but when his Haki had flared upon feeling the aura surrounding Old Bilbo, he therefore knew that this curse was awfully out of his league and devilishly more powerful than the one Sandai Kitetsu held. It made his skin crawl with intense dread and although there weren't many things Zoro was afraid of, the **thing** that haunted this ring was no normal curse. It seemed darker and alive, whispering treacherous promises into one's mind and corrupting it. Zoro's sanity wouldn't have survived the malevolent vibes of this ring if he had taken it for himself, he would have endangered his friends altogether. Damaging his mind was the last thing he wanted and the fact that Bilbo had kept that sickening 'trinket' for himself for so long made him want to vomit._

_The urge to destroy that thing had passed his mind more than thrice, just so he wouldn't be able to hear this voice. This strange voice that whispered treacherous promises that would lead him to a certain death, for the swordsman was sure that ring couldn't be and shouldn't be trusted. How could Bilbo not be able to feel the aura surrounding him because of that **thing**?_

He wouldn't admit it willingly, but that ring had left him with dread and fear. He wouldn't admit it willingly, but that disgusting ring had made his hand – his firm hand that never hesitated – on his sword tremble like a leaf. He wouldn't admit it willingly, but that cursed ring had withered his emotionless facade and made him kind of insecure. He wouldn't admit it willingly, but he had felt so threatened that he had almost lost his composure and attacked the ring in an attempt to destroy it. He wouldn't admit it willingly, but that blasted 'trinket' had gotten past his defenses to reach his mind and whisper some bullshit seductively in an attempt to make him surrender to its temptation. He wouldn't admit it willingly, but if there was anything that could annihilate that nightmarish 'trinket' before he could lose all reason he would _happily kill_ to get it, whatever it was and regardless of the obstacles in his way.

Zoro clenched his jaw, glaring at the back of the laughing Hobbit without realising it.

"_Sickening_!" he hissed venomously at Robin, his hand grasping the hilt of the Sandai Kitetsu.

It was trembling. Slightly.

* * *

It was Luffy's excited yell that helped them understand that they had finally made it to Bree; the village hadn't been that far from the Shire – or maybe it had just been Zoro's imagination because he couldn't remember how long they had been walking. To tell the truth, dark thoughts about the cursed ring had been running in his mind. _Destroy that blasted thing, it can't be good to you_, he would tell himself, barely holding a snarl whenever his functioning eye would settle on Bilbo. He was grateful that they had finally reached a village to sleep – and drink some alcohol – at last, for he was almost sure he would have violently snapped at Bilbo for nothing. It would have attracted Luffy's annoying questions anyway; his captain was so painfully oblivious to certain things that it was always a pain to explain them to him.

But still, Zoro wanted to be sure that his anger and frustration towards Bilbo were genuine and fair. He and Robin needed answers – Luffy could remain as oblivious as hell, it was sometimes best for him to be this way when it came to such dangerous matters he wouldn't understand. When his captain continued screaming and jumping Zoro calmed him down by kicking him in the back and telling him to shut up, making the rubber boy roll down into a hole big enough to trap his head inside. That action was enough to make Bilbo double over in laughter and Robin chuckled, amusement flashing in her eyes. This laughter lightened the atmosphere, if only for a while, but it was needed; Zoro would have gone insane with the heavy silence that woud sometimes settle when Luffy – or his stomach – wasn't complaining about being hungry. It was with a disgruntled expression on his face that the first mate helped the captain out of his hole, cursing his loud mouth.

Bilbo had taken enough money with him to provide for the four of them – after having witnessed how much food Luffy's stomach could contain in one lunch or dinner, he did well to take more than enough. The inn they settled in was almost packed and lively; men and women talked and laughed altogether while getting drunk, their voices filling the inn with loud noises that could wake the dead (in Zoro's opinion, the stupid cook was the loudest with his ridiculous nicknames and praises about Robin and the greedy orange-haired witch. Clearly, he was unmatched.). But the swordsman couldn't and wouldn't complain because he could finally drink their ale without being interrupted by some shit – he was still mad at Bilbo for abruptly putting an end to his fun in Hobbiton with his accursed 'ability' but he was more incensed about other things that needed damn good explanations to prevent him from cutting the Hobbit to pieces. Robin was off in their room reading some books Old Bilbo had lent her in peace and quietness, Luffy was God knows where stuffing his stomach to his heart's content and snatching bits of food from other's plates, not caring if he made some people angry and the Hobbit was sitting at a table, eating quietly. Good, he could drink without worrying for them – not that he would, anyway.

When Zoro was about to grab his tankard someone slapped him in the back, laughing. "Hiya, mate!" a drunken ragged-looking man exclaimed, his words slurred. The swordsman could tell he was quite tipsy, giving the way alcohol seemed to have taken over his mind. "'m I seein' things or ya hair really _is_ green? 'Cause tat's jus weeeeeird..." His dazed eyes were so close to the point that his face was almost in Zoro's bright green hair. Said swordsman scowled in annoyance and stood up abruptly, succeeding in making the drunken buffoon fall hard from his chair. This action caused many, who had been staring at the stranger, to topple over in laughter.

Zoro snorted, his tankard in hand. "Excuse me, I was _drinking_," he said with sarcasm, frowning at the confused man. "Don't you think it's rude to bother people when they are enjoying their drink? Where are your manners?" Then he walked away, snorting once again in annoyance. "Moron," he muttered before taking a large gulp of his ale.

Bree seemed to be an environment where he would like to get drunk most of the time; the people there looked like they enjoyed themselves without having to worry about anything – bad stuff happening in a corner of the rest of the world, the beginning of a slow, lethal apocalypse that would wipe out this whole Middle Earth (but to be completely honest, the real apocalypse would start when it would be discovered that Luffy had a I.Q. of 215 and was proved to be smarter than he looked, which would freak everyone out. Luffy. Smarter than everyone in his own crew. This would be the first sign of the apocalypse according to Zoro.) and being out of ale. Even though that was still a frightening possibility for Zoro, he would try to drink water for a while before moving back to his sweet alcohol in a heartbeat.

Sitting down then putting his feet up onto the table Zoro eyed his surroundings with an observing gaze . Most of the people in this inn were drunken men attempting to have their way with the few present women in there – some would slap their hands away with a scorching glare, others would laugh heartily in their arms before going back to work. The pirate would say they all looked harmless in the state they were all in but that wasn't enough to fool him; when they had walked in many eyes had turned to stare, mainly at Robin but he knew he had attracted some attention because of his clothes and _natural_ green hair. Luffy, being his usual loud self, had immediately took off to the bar and demanded plenty of food to fill his ever-hungry stomach. He was going to be alright on his own but Zoro wouldn't be far if he needed help taking down some thugs – displaying his Devil Fruit powers might scare the hell out of everyone here and releasing his Haki could do so much more, so laying low was the best idea for now. For those who would try something on Robin, snapping their spine without moving an inch would be enough to dissuade them (and Zoro knew she would do it with _a smile_. That woman had been an assassin, after all...). Strangers always attracted attention and he had the feeling they would have some trouble before leaving Bree.

Smirking to himself, Zoro gulped down the rest of his ale and ordered another tankard. He would be looking forward to it. Ever since they had mysteriously popped out of nowhere in Middle Earth he hadn't been able to practice and work out, imbeciles were therefore happily welcome to try anything on he, Luffy and Robin. Why would they go after a harmless, elderly Hobbit?

He felt Bilbo long before he reached his table and once again, Zoro had to refrain the urge of unsheating his swords in instinct. Although he wasn't the bearer of this wretched _thing_ anymore his aura still had that sickening feeling glued to him, as if he wasn't completely out of his reach and range. Was that accursed ring _that_ powerful? "Enjoying Bree's ale, I see," the elderly Hobbit said, laughing as he sat down next to Zoro. His eyes danced with unrestrained mirth and his smile seemed a bit more cheerful – even though they were still a bit shadowed. He missed his damn ring, Zoro realized with a hidden disgusted snarl. "It's been so long since I got out of the Shire."

The green-haired swordsman glanced at him, then absent-mindly thanked the barman for bringing his ale. "Did you use to be a traveler or something?" he asked, tankard in hand.

"Sort of," Bilbo smiled, eyes a little dazed as if he was remembering something. "I wasn't really someone who would leave his home to travel at world's end everytime, I was someone who liked to hole up in his home and relax all day. This is the life a Hobbit would settle for; uneventful and peaceful, always preferable to any kind of danger we would be exposed to. Dear swordsman, you have to know and remember that Hobbits are blissfully ignorant of the world outside their beloved Shire and would be considered as children compared to Men and Elves." There was a pregnant pause before he chose to continue, his voice somehow pained. "And Dwarves, of course."

The pirate silently snorted. Sounds pretty boring. Peaceful but boring. But..."_Dwarves_?" Zoro inquired, frowning a little. "Damn, this world could be as strange as mine, if any stranger because of the fact that there's no island. Anyway, carry on with your story." _If it could get my mind off plotting to make you go away._

"Right, right. I met a full company of thirteen Dwarves, all rowdy and so intrusive when they decided to come to my home uninvited though they said they had been 'invited' by Gandalf," Bilbo rolled his eyes playfully, even if it was a bit half-heartedly. "I was quite unpleasantly surprised to see so many Dwarves in my home, let alone in the Shire and –"

"What's the difference between a Dwarf and a Hobbit?" Zoro interrupted. "Aren't you the same? If Dwarves are also midgets who barely reach my waist then how come you're not from the same race? Perhaps you're brothers and you ignore it."

Those questions managed to make Bilbo choke on his drink. Coughing, he patted his aching chest many times under the laughing eye and amused smirk of Zoro – who did nothing to help him to get better and preferred to watch him – and took some breaths before raising his head to stare incredulously at the green-haired swordsman. "No, we're _not_!" Bilbo almost shouted, astounded. "Hobbits and Dwarves are _completely_ different on every level, starting by the fact that we Hobbits never invite ourselves in other's homes without the owner's consent. We are polite and have manners."

Zoro's smirk widened. "Oh, really?" he mused. "Judging from the tone you're using I'd say you liked those 'rowdy and intrusive' Dwarves. You must have been somewhat close to them," he said before his eye made eye contact with another pair.

The contact was very short and would have gone unnoticed if Zoro hadn't seen the tiny, almost invisible twitch in the brow of this man. Those eyes belonged to another stranger who was eating and talking with his friend – or so that was what he wanted the others to believe that con-trick. Zoro barely held a mocking laugh as he openly stared at the man. Was he some kind of hunter? If he was then he was terrible at being one. _He has been watching me for a while now_, Zoro thought as he drank his ale. It won't be long before he tried something, he knew it. He secretly hoped he would be a challenge.

"I was irritated at first, yes," Bilbo tried to defend himself, cheeks flushing slightly. "You didn't see them sixty years ago: they literally ransacked my home, devoured my pantry without asking if I agreed to that and had my home completely dirty in one night. I've never been so –"

"_ZOROOOO_!" a very familiar voice shouted in delight nearby and the first mate turned, a brow raising as he assessed his captain running towards him. His stomach was still flat as if he hadn't been stuffing it but Zoro would bet his next ale that he had already emptied half of the inn's food stocks. The innkeeper must be both aghast and _enraged _and, confirming Zoro's suspicion, would try to maim his captain for gulping all his food. "Come on, let's go explore the village! I'm sure there's something exciting to discover here!"

Zoro sighed. Now that he was surrounded by good ale he didn't want to leave, let alone exploring a village where he was sure both he and Luffy would attract too much trouble for comfort. "Forget it," he said flatly, bringing his tankard to take a large sip. "I'd rather stay here."

"Awwww, you're no fun!" the captain whined, his mouth turning into a pout. "Why?"

"I wouldn't be able to take my ale with me, that goofy-looking of a innkeeper would bitch about it," he reasoned, as if it were obvious to him – which clearly wasn't to Luffy, who blinked repeatedly in confusion. Even Bilbo couldn't help but stare at him, silently wondering if his logic worked through his brain or not. Was it even making sense?

Apparently, not to the straw-hatted boy. "Huh? What?" Luffy scratched his cheek in wonder, brows furrowed.

Zoro shook his head, his eye closed in annoyance. "Forget it," he said again. Then he raised his almost empty tankard...

...and swiftly tipped his head on the left to avoid the knife that embedded itself into the wooden wall besides him.

He opened his eye once again and gave the culprit an impassive stare. He stared back with a bewildered expression plastered on his face as he opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, unable to understand what happened and why he missed his target. _What just happened_? Luffy, who had felt the knife flying towards them, had moved out of the way easily and was now staring at the townsman in mild shock. The noise around them had also gone quiet because some people, who had witnessed the mysterious man moving, had shouted in outrage and surprise and moved out of the way. Zoro smirked to himself, reached an arm behind him and grabbed the knife to pull it out without much effort. He twirled it expertly as he stood up, not breaking eye contact with his new opponent.

Small, wrinkled hands grabbed his left arm in alarm and pulled. "W-wait!" Bilbo whispered hastily to Zoro. "It isn't good to mess around with hunters – especially those who like to pick on strangers. We should just let it go."

_Just let it go_? Zoro smirked even more. _Yeah right, like that's gonna happen._ "Got a problem, _hunter_?" he taunted, sarcasm and mockery dripping his tone. "Are you seriously one? Because your aim was terrible, I could have avoided it in my sleep,"

The insult managed to pull the hunter out of his shocked state and he bristled, his teeth clenched in sudden anger. "You _bastard_!" he spat before lunging forward, another dagger in hand.

Zoro could have a fight, after all. _Nice_, he thought happily with a smirk as he unsheathed one sword.

* * *

"_Elves were blessed with immortality and beauty that could not be rivaled. They are called the 'Firstborn' or 'Eldar', mainly because it is believed that the Elves existed long before Men appeared. The Elf-lords were given three Rings of Power, the Dwarf-lords were blessed with seven and nine were offered to Men who, overcome with greed, could not resist the temptation to..."_

A loud crash echoed downstairs, making Robin blink in wonder. Were Zoro and Luffy going mad and picking a fight with the locals again? It would seem that, even if they found themselves stranded in another world, that habits won't ever go away. The archaelogist smiled in amusement as she turned another page of her book, mischief dancing in her eyes.

Bilbo would be fine. They would be fine.

* * *

Excitement coursing through his veins Luffy couldn't help but laugh his head off, already feeling pumped up for a fight. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" he cheered jovially, his eyes following his friend's movements.

And he _did_ feel someone creeping quietly on him on his left, raising an arm over his head as if to strike him. Before it made contact with his head – and precious straw-hat – he pulled it on the right with his hand, narrowly avoiding the stroke, and released his hold. The person who had crept on Luffy was then painfully struck on the side of his head by Luffy's in a side-headbutt. Apparently it was a man, judging from the deep and painful grunt that accompanied the dull thud on the wooden floor. Oooh, he didn't see that coming! And Luffy's confused comment _'Why are you attacking me? I didn't do anything to you __except eating__!'_ absolutely didn't help to calm down those drunken twerps, who were trying to bite their heads off; Zoro was playing with four opponents at the same time, having knocked out the first that had tried to kill him with a knife (he was lying on the ground, face down, and out cold.) and now cutting almost everything in his path. The swordsman, who had a grin at the beginning of the fight, was now looking quite bored and frowning – and to be frank, he had the right to be: his two-years training with Dracule Mihawk had been rough and it had been hell every day (and plus, there had been that pink-haired ghost girl from Thriller Bark who had annoyed him to no end with her nonsense crap she would say all the time. It had taken Zoro all his patience not to cut her body down to pieces.) because he wanted to get stronger to protect and help his captain achieve his dream while he would do the same by getting closer to beating the greatest swordsman. So the fact that these sorry excuses for hunters couldn't even be more challenging to Zoro was irritating. A complete waste of time and energy for _nothing_!

And why the devil were they making a mess in a holy sacred place where alcohol was the praised master? These thugs needed a good correction!

Zoro could feel a vein threatening to appear on his temple – a sign that he was seriously starting to get pissed off. "Now that's enough!" he growled out. He just wanted to drink in peace, _goddammit_!

The remaining 'hunter' was exhausted from trying to hit the green-haired stranger and panting heavily. He had bruises and cuts from Zoro's punches and slashes, nothing very serious but he knew that this man was restraining himself. Therefore it meant that he was only playing with them, having known that they wouldn't have stood a chance against him – that's the one mistake his boss had made by targeting those strangers; the green-haired one was obviously a highly skilled swordsman whose instincts and reflexes couldn't be matched. The way he moved so easily and gracefully through their assaults said it all (would he be able to beat an elf? It would seem so.) and his blows hurt like hell! His gluttony friend with the straw hat also revealed himself to be quite elusive and quick too, which was another blow to their pride as hunters. Nevertheless, the last one standing snarled at Zoro and flung himself at him with a roar.

But he was certain he never saw Zoro taking a table and crashing it down on his skull. No, _never_.

The fight was now over and the strangers had won so easily that it left everyone else in shock, staring at the both of them with bewildered expressions. Luffy was grinning widely, holding an unconscious – and certainly still drunk – man in one hand and a plate of food in the other.

"Shishishishishi!" he laughed heartily, highly amused by their situation. "Oh, that was fun!"

"Those idiots had it coming," Zoro said dryly, stepping over a knocked out hunter. "I'm disappointed, they didn't even put up a good challenge. If all fighters are this weak around here I'll be seriously bored out of my mind. Oi, bartender!" he barked at the frozen stiff, who jumped at the sudden attention. Zoro's mild glare was a bit frightening. "I need more ale to cool off, those pathetic excuses for hunters just ruined the mood by provoking me in a pointless fight."

The bartender shook his head, startled, then nodded quickly. "Aye, aye!"

The atmosphere was a bit awkward after that – everyone couldn't help but steal some worried and astonished glances at the duo now sitting at a table with a mortified Hobbit (_where_ the devil was _he_? Hobbits truly were masters of hide-and-seek!) who was fidgeting nervously around a cheerful straw-hatted boy and a scowling green-haired swordsman who looked like he was about to throttle someone. Who could have thought they were _that_ strong?

If only they truly knew. But everyone in this inn had learned something important.

_Never bother someone who only wants to drink his alcohol. You could be unpleasantly surprised._

And heavily beaten to a pulp. Seriously, who used wooden tables to put an end to a brawl and order drinks after that?

* * *

They departed from Bree early in the morning – something that Monkey D. Luffy particularly hated. The loud complaining and whining that had accompanied his pouting had done nothing good but annoy some neighbours. Robin had already eaten and taken a shower and was found reading downstairs, enjoying the short-lived quietness before her disgruntled captain joined her and slammed his head on the table. The archaelogist hadn't asked about the mess they had made last night, she already knew that they must have made a (good?) impression on the locals here, seeing how they had treated them with much more respect than yesterday. _'They pissed me off when I was drinking, is all,'_ Zoro had said darkly. Robin had chuckled in amusement. There had been quiet and hasty good-byes – an enraged one from the chef of the inn as he cursed Luffy for his stomach and mouth and shouted at him not to come back. _Ever_. – as the innkeeper wished them a good journey towards Imladris, a shaking smile on his face and twitching eyebrows that couldn't seem to stop. And then they were off again.

Bilbo was sure every local in Bree had sighed in relief when Zoro passed the gate without looking back. And that made the poor Hobbit fidget in obvious discomfort over what happened last night.

The weather was fine and favorable, which pleased the old Hobbit; he began telling his three companions other tales of his adventures with the Dwarves of Erebor, his tone cheerful and light once again. The pirates listened intently, learning about places in Middle Earth they might travel if they had to – the Lonely Mountain, the Misty Mountains, Mirkwood (it was known as 'Greenwood the Great' back in the olden days but due to certain 'circumstances' they wouldn't understand – or _Luffy_ wouldn't –, it had been named like this.) and of course, Imladris. The Elven haven was a dreamy place he would have liked to live for the rest of his life had he not been so attached to his home and nephew Frodo. Old Bilbo told them about the bad blood between Elves and Dwarves ever since the ElvenKing of the Woodland Realm refused to help their friends from Erebor to escape the scorching and still dreading visit of the dragon Smaug safe and sound, which immediately incensed Luffy to the core. Zoro and Robin, for their part, were more reserved and quieter but that didn't mean they weren't shaken by it; friendship meant everything to their captain and seeing how willing he was to put his own life in danger to help his friends or get them back showed how much he valued that concept. The fact that the ElvenKing blatantly refused to help Thorin Oakenshield after Erebor's demise put a strain on the friendship between two races that could remained allies and friends forever, and not even Bilbo's attempts to calm an incensed Luffy were enough to shut him up.

"That bastard!" he had exclaimed, fists clenched together. "What kind of king and leader is he to refuse to help his friends from a freaking dragon – did he even see them as his friends or was it just a lie?"

"Luffy, you shouldn't insult the ElvenKing for what he did in the past," had come the soothing voice of Bilbo. "You must understand that Thranduil would have helped them as much as he could have, but his people would always come first. A king must ensure that his own kin would not be injured or killed during such slaughter and think before joining in. A lot of Elves died because of such horrors and bloody wars, something that neither Elf lord would want to know and see."

"_That doesn't excuse him_!"

And so and so for about an hour until Luffy finally shut up, still disgruntled and angry. About an hour and half later of trekking Bilbo suggested a short break – they had to remember that the Hobbit wasn't so young anymore and needed to rest from time to time. The Straw-Hat captain didn't look that tired and was running around their spot with a beaming smile on his face, eager to discover the little of Middle Earth they could see now, Zoro had fallen asleep after lying down next to Robin and was snoring peacefully. The archaelogist had her eyes glued to a book Bilbo had lent her, concentrated although she still used her Devil Fruit to keep a careful eye on her captain – the likelihood of Luffy getting lost in a matter of seconds was damn high at normal times back in the Grand Line but thousand times worse in a different world they knew nothing about. Though there was a chance to find him wherever he would cause a wild ruckus all by himself, it would be preferable to have him somewhere she still could see him. And Zoro? He would be the biggest problem: his astonishing lack of sense of direction would the death of their guide (Robin had to pull him back on the right path with them _sixteen times_ ever since they left the Shire and _thirteen times_ since they left Bree. For now! He had grumbled under his breath but she knew it was his way to say thank you without hurting his pride too much.) and Bilbo had almost given up telling him the directions out loud, desperate and abashed to see someone with such poor sense of direction. _Just wait until they meet the Elves of Imladris..._

At night they would all sleep peacefully – or at least, some could: Robin hadn't awakened her Haki so she couldn't feel the malicious aura that still surrounded Bilbo but Zoro still could feel it. He couldn't close his eye knowing that the old Hobbit was a mere feet away from him, looking harmless and innocent. His hand would clench his swords tightly, his muscles would tense as if he expected to be attacked by something he wouldn't know how to interpret (could a curse this monstruous take actual form? He didn't _want_ to imagine it.). Zoro would sleep little at night, and whenever the feeling of that sickening aura got too unbearable for him, he would stand watch. It made him quite worried about the power of that thing: if he could be affected by the curse then why Robin and Luffy didn't feel affected one bit? Why _him_? Was it because Luffy's extraordinarily simple mind couldn't be blackened even though he had endured too much sorrow and mental breakdown due to Portgas D. Ace's death in front of him? Zoro silently wished they could find a way back to the New World faster than he could explore Middle Earth all by himself after getting lost, because if they didn't, he wouldn't be able to guarantee that he won't do _anything_ murderous.

Days passed faster than they thought when they enjoyed themselves on the road to Imladris; Bilbo discovered that a hungry Luffy would whine _all the time_ and his stomach would grumble so loud that he almost thought that an earthquake was raging underground – or worse, he had claimed. Wargs could have been chasing them, those wolves were pretty hard to elude. Brushing off the subject about freaks as if it weren't that important – and it won't ever be more important than eating to Monkey D. Luffy – the pirate captain asked if they could stop and eat, feeling half-drained. Bilbo would laugh cheerfully, saying that Luffy reminded him of Hobbits in general all too well, Zoro would roll his eyes and argue with his captain that stopping once again might delay them on their journey, especially because he wanted to sleep in a real bed before working out and training. Only Robin would remain quiet, except for her amused chuckles that betrayed her. _'We need to eat! Don't you know the saying "When you're hungry, eat."? You'd do well to remember that!' _Luffy had exclaimed at his first mate, pouting. _'Shut your trap, you're not making any sense. And stop inventing sayings all about food on your own, it's stupider than __watching__ that damn Ero-Cook __being manipulated by Nami__!' _Zoro had retorted back. And so and so. Damn funny. Old Bilbo couldn't honestly remember the time he had laughed so hard because of such trivial things but the current display between those three pirates was just too much. Unlike Robin he couldn't hide his mirth and laughed hard, unable to restrain himself, but Luffy and Zoro were too caught up in their futile argument to hear him. He even had to clear his eyes from the tears of mirth that had welled up his eyes.

When they arrived upon familiar grounds Bilbo grinned and trotted ahead, suddenly feeling like he could run again like sixty years ago. The three pirates had no problem following his lead but sometimes had to adjust their height inside the rocky cave, for it was quite narrow in there at some point.

"Are we there yet, are we there yet, are we there yet?" Luffy chanted eagerly, getting himself ready to run ahead and scream for food. For God's sake, he was _hungry_!

Bilbo laughed merrily. "Almost there, my friend!" He could almost feel the urge to run towards Rivendell – the beautiful city of Lord Elrond. He still hasn't thanked him properly for saving them from the Wargs and Orcs, but he could do it now. He would always be welcome in Imladris. Bilbo only hoped that his new friends wouldn't do anything brash and –

"OHOOOOOOOO, WE MADE IT! ZORO, ROBIN, COME SEE THAT!" Luffy's excited scream came out so suddenly that it made Bilbo jump at least twenty feet in the air.

It turned out that the pirate captain had taken the lead without the Hobbit noticing it – seriously, _when_ had he passed by him? – and was currently admiring the enchanting sight of Rivendell. His two friends joined him and found themselves gaping, unable to contain their surprise. But Bilbo only smiled gleefully, feeling content – and thankful for arriving here in one piece with three pirates who were gifted in attracting trouble everywhere. Imladris was as beautiful as ever and hadn't changed since the last time he went there, he felt himself relax instantly. Because Imladris felt like a second home next to Bag's End, Bilbo Baggins knew he would always be at peace here.

He was so dazed that he didn't register when Luffy had raced ahead, he didn't even hear Robin and Zoro calling after him and following his lead. But what he heard minutes later was a very, insanely loud scream that violently shook him out of his reverie, echoing into the entire valley, and he bolted towards the entrance of the city, concerned for his friends. The next yell, just as loud as the first (if not louder), was formed with words and with that, Bilbo could understand Luffy's ordeal.

"_THEY DON'T EAT MEAT?!_"

Oh. _Oh_. Did Bilbo actually forget to tell him that?

* * *

Back in the Shire, Merry and Pippin lifted their heads and listened. Someone was yelling. Someone was yelling in disbelief. But who was that? The two cousins looked at each other in confusion, shrugged, then went back to their work.

Whoever that was, that person had some damn good lungs.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Damn. This update was hard to write (and I also experienced some writer block here...) and since I wanted to do it long, I've read some of your ideas for upcoming chapters. There are too many folds to explore right here with the Strawhats, I want to explore as many as I can with you. Anyway, sorry for updating so late after so many months – since April, right? _Shoot_. I'll see you on the next chapter.

**Next chapter:** _How Do You Deal With Pirates, Elves?_


	8. How Do You Deal With Pirates, Elves?

**Author's Note 1:** I. Was. The laziest. This summer. Did my tattoo in Orlando, enjoyed my time in the US once more and went back to moody, surprisingly hot France. Hope you enjoyed your summer, mine is also finished now – college will keep me busy. _Still motivated_! Your Frenchie, female author will definitely not abandon this work, mark my words.

**Author's Note 2:** Have you seen the last chapters of the Dressrossa Arc? _Beautiful_! And I absolutely wasn't expecting all fighters of the tournament in Luffy's group to ask him to be in his crew – Bartolomeo, I kind of expected it, but shallow, unnerving _Cavendish_? Damn. Let's wait for Luffy's answer to that. Oh, and we also know what Kaidou finally looks like – he is indeed _monstruous_.

* * *

**Chapter Eight:** _How Do You Deal With Pirates, Elves?_

"OIIIIIII! GRIM-LOOKING, POINTY MAN! WHERE ARE YOU?"

Said 'grim-looking, pointy man' fought the urge to cringe at the insanely loud voice of the young stranger in his home. Lord Elrond was a patient Elf, he knew that – everyone who personally knew him does. He could be as kind to his peers as harsh and severe to anyone else but his wisdom had always helped those who searched answers in the path of life, where they would sometimes lose themselves. His children, his peers from the woods of Lothlorien and even the Grey Pilgrim Gandalf would seek him for his help. Gifted with a powerful clairvoyance and having chosen to live as an immortal, Elrond Peredhil had lived enough ages not to be shaken by something as trivial as a stranger who –

"WHERE ARE YOU, GRIM-LOOKING, POINTY MAN? YOU TOLD ME THAT –"

_B__less anyone who manages to make him quiet_. Elrond was not one to have any ill-feelings towards the few travelers who stumbled upon his home over the years, he would always welcome them – even if those travelers were Dwarves. Those he had welcomed in Rivendell during the time the terrible dragon Smaug was still alive had unsurprisingly been the last to come, having claimed their kingdom back but lost their king and his nephews to the war against Azog. Somehow these strangers that came with the Halfling Bilbo Baggins had sparked his interest ever since he heard this boy with the straw-hat yelling about Elves not eating meat, therefore disturbing and making him jump in fright because of the sudden loudness that had broken the quietness of Imladris. How could he be _so_ loud? Did he not care if he disturbed everyone around him by yelling at the top of his lungs?

And why was he not calling him by his name? It wasn't so hard to remember.

_Sixteen hours_. They had been here for _sixteen hours straight_ and this boy was still up and running, jumping in the trees and occasionally scaring any Elf he stumbled upon. Elrond had been listening to his laughter and screams for the past hours in his study, after having welcomed them all and listened to their story, and the growing headache still hadn't subdued, it had just worsened! The fact that he and his two friends didn't hail from _anywhere_ in Middle Earth was already strange but what was stranger was their names and garb; the most striking of all three – according to Elrond and most of the Elves in Imladris – was the one with green hair and the three swords. Very peculiar hair colour, which made him stand out between his two dark-haired fellow companions. There was a powerful aura around him, the Elf lord could tell. His only eye (because Elrond had seen that the left one was scarred and certainly useless, something that was a disadvantage for a warrior but didn't seem to make the stranger uncomfortable. Impressive.) held a hard look that even managed to upset his sons Elladan and Elrohir, as if he was daring them to approach. With his scars he looked like a seasoned warrior who had survived more wars than Elrond could have lived in his lifetime. The only woman of their group was tall and – surprisingly – beautiful, more polite than her two companions here (the younger one had already taken off to another side of Rivendell, all too eager to discover the place, followed by the green-haired man. Impatience seemed to be one of his weakness and he didn't seem the type to sit still for more than two minutes. At least the woman was patient.). She had presented herself as Nico Robin, an archaelogist, and presented the long gone friends as Roronoa Zoro and Monkey D. Luffy. Odd names, odd people who didn't belong in Middle Earth yet here they were, disturbing the quiet peace his home had always been used to. Even the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain hadn't been _that_ loud.

_Pirates_. They were _pirates_. The three of them. _'Even you, even though you're a woman?' _his son Elladan couldn't help but ask, bewildered. Elrond himself couldn't hide his curiosity as she explained their status. Lady Robin hadn't seemed offensed, her blue eyes twinkling in amusement and a smile playing on her lips, and had just carried on. She and her captain and first mate had been separated from their peers that were waiting for them back on their ship, they had been investigating a cave that had drawn their captain's attention. One minute they had been in the cave, the next one they had found themselves washed up at the Shire's shore, knocked out. And in another world where their whereabouts were unknown, unsure how they were going to get back.

"_It is mysterious indeed," Elrond had said, deep in thought. "There are mysteries in Middle Earth that have yet to be unfolded. I can't know for certain that it was the work of the Valar or some...other force that acted in the dark. There will be researches about your presence here, Lady Robin. I will write to my peers both in Mirkwood and Lothlorien and tell them about you three, they might be able to help you." He had hesitated for seconds before carrying on. "Mithrandir has sent us a letter telling about the three of you. He will join us in Imladris much later but he told me to assure you that he will do some research about any possible connection between you and something else."_

_He had been able to tell that Robin had caught the slight hesitation in his words; she had frowned lightly and her clear eyes had seemed to flash in suspicion, certainly curious. And since she was an outsider from another world Elrond hadn't felt the need to explain some disturbing things. The pirate woman had nodded nonetheless, eyes serious. "It might be too soon to thank you but I can already feel grateful that you welcomed us in your home, it looks lovely here." The smile had returned as she took a sip of her tea. "I don't know how long we'll stay here, so I wouldn't mind to know if there's a library somewhere? I would like to entertain myself during our stay."_

So he had been right, she truly was the one who preferred books instead of running everywhere like her overexcited captain. And she also looked like she was the real sane one of their group – the green-haired swordsman seemed hardened like steel when he surveyed the Elves but softened up when it came to Robin and Luffy, but listening to him arguing with his captain about 'meaningless things' and watching him punch the young, overexcited boy on the head had forced Elrond to think of Robin as the only sane pirate between them. Zoro had wandered off, mumbling something about 'alcohol' and 'training' or 'sleeping' after Elrond had told him the directions of his room, but had surprisingly stumbled upon the Elf when he was returning to his study. A bit surprised Elrond had told him the directions _once again_ and had watched him go _once again_... and had stumbled upon a disgruntled green-haired pirate once. _Again_.

"_How come is your sense of direction **this** bad?" Elrond had wondered aloud, truly astounded._

_Zoro had snarled, scowling. "Maybe your directions are false, is all!" he had answered, a bit defensive._

_Elrond had widened his eyes in disbelief, unable to tell whether he was jesting or not. Was he that bad in following directions and that good at getting lost even though he was given directions? It was maddening. Then he had shaken his head, had sighed and had indicated once again._

"_Just go **east**, then **up** the stairs and your room is the **third** door on your **right**," the Elf Lord had told Zoro slowly, emphasizing the most important words to follow._

_Zoro had grumbled something akin to a 'Thanks' and had walked past him._

_And had gone north. This had made Elrond close his eyes in disbelief, run a frustrated hand on his face before leaving. It was better than trying to help him and plus, he was just as bad as Luffy who managed to give him an headache just by not listening at all._

Maddening. Simply maddening. Lord Elrond could feel his calm and cool composure cracking just by thinking about the Strawhats being here and wreaking havoc in just sixteen hours, the headache somewhow dulling his senses and rendering him weary and...snappy. The Half-Elf tried to tune out Luffy's excited screams by massaging his temples and attempting to lessen the headache, more than tired. It was a common fact that Elves could go on days without sleeping but these pirates – or at least two of them – were worning him out faster than he thought. He and his peers may be fascinated by the fact they originally came from another world, were world renown pirates (which also meant that whatever their 'Grand Line' ocean was filled with, they must have encountered countless of different tribes and creatures that no one in Middle Earth would have ever met in a lifetime. Elrond wasn't one to travel around the world and explore it but he was sure that Elladan and Elrohir would have loved to do it, no matter what they would have encountered. Fearlessness was something they were well accustomed to.) but what was more astonishing was the fact that the captain acted carefree and jolly as if it were usual. Elrond had heard of the corsairs of Umbar, ruthless men who sailed and had daily business with foul creatures of Mordor, men who didn't laugh and scream jovially like this one who had come in Imladris. Men who were so different from the Strawhats.

Elrond might not know them but there was more than meets the eye, especially from this Monkey D. Luffy.

"Oi," a voice suddenly said next to him.

Had he not been dulled by his headache he would have easily heard someone entering his study. And he wouldn't have been startled by this voice breaking the peace like a glass shattering on the floor. Clear, widened eyes snapped at black, obsidian and laughing eyes as Monkey D. Luffy, the rambunctious and loud pirate grinning widely at him, stood next to his position. Elrond sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, already dreading the worse.

"How can I help you..._Luffy_?" he forced himself to say politely. He would be damned if he wasn't being at least civil towards his guest, regardless of their habits and personality.

"Shishishishishi!" the pirate captain laughed as he folded his arms. "I wanted to ask you when dinner time is, I'm hungry..."

The Elf couldn't help the sound of incredulity that escaped his mouth. Was the boy _always_ hungry? "You ate no less than an hour ago and it was more than one group of Dwarves could eat, how can you even _feel_ any hunger?" He blinked several times, trying to decipher the oddity that was Monkey D. Luffy.

As if to answer him a loud growl echoed in the study, almost menacing and monstruous. Elrond's eyes widened slowly as he watched Luffy clutching his stomach in a somewhat 'pained' expression and slumping over on the ground, mumbling about how hungry he was. It was as if...as if an actual animal had just growled at him, threatening and screaming for food. The noise itself had made the composed Elf Lord jump in his seat, confused and utterly surprised. It couldn't be...

"Was that your _stomach_?" he asked disbelievingly, as if the very idea of a stomach being that loud was just too crazy.

Apparently, it was. "_Meeeeeaaaat_..."

* * *

_Elves are incredibly beautiful creatures_, Robin thought with a smile as she turned another page of her book. Their beauty, ethereal and just too marvelous to be seen with her own eyes – it had almost made the archaelogist feel like she was infinitely inferior to them in so many domains. She barely could contain her excitement when she was granted with the permission to use the library of Imladris to start her research as much as she wanted but at the same time, Robin also wanted to know as much as possible the history of Elves, Men and Dwarves. Surely there must have been wars that had raged and shaken Middle Earth as much as the Golden Age of piracy when Gol D. Roger launched it when he was dying at his execution day, such bloody events must have been recorded in books. _Painted on walls_.

Being greeted by Elves hadn't been as cheerful as the Hobbits but rather formal; they had doned great airs and smiles that had seemed sincere but she had seen through the charade – they were all curious. Who wouldn't be curious when three outsiders from another world showed up at your home with a well-known Hobbit? They were well-mannered, seemed wise and charismatic; she could honestly not remember when she had been welcomed so naturally without malice or ill intentions. It had been such a long time since she could really relax – the Strawhats being her new family and friends, Robin had given them her complete trust and faith – and the last thing she wanted to do was disreguard their amability. _Now, if only Luffy and Zoro could behave without driving them crazy..._

She heard knocking on the door and lifted her eyes just in time to see a dark-haired Elf entering the library, a tray of food in his hands. Just like any other Elf he had stunning features and rich garments, his movements were graceful and light. He didn't make any sound as he made his way towards her and Robin couldn't help but marvel at him; it seemed he was surrounded by a halo of light, making the Elf appear heavenly. He seemed to light everything in the room just by his mere presence. It must be one of their tricks, she mused with a secret smile as she watched the 'wonderful' creature approach her.

"Greetings, Lady Robin," he said in a smooth, airy voice. "Lord Elrond told me that since you'd rather stay into our library to read, he tasked me to bring you dinner."

"How kind, thank you –" she started to say, unsure how to call the Elf.

The Elf seemed to notice and he bowed slightly after setting the tray next to the pile of books Robin intended to read. "My name is Lindir, my lady. At your service," he smiled at the archaelogist, bowing again.

_Charismatic. Almost like our chef_, Robin mused as she took her cup of tea. _Without all the compliments and the exaggerated praises_. Maybe they could relate somehow but there was no doubt that Sanji would try to lynch Lindir, should he have suspicious motives towards her or Nami (not that the orange-haired navigator would mind the attention...). "The pleasure is all mine, Lindir." She took a sip of the tea and silently marveled at the taste. Sanji was a chef of excellence and prepared all kinds mouth-watering meals and drinks but somehow, this tea the Elves had made was wonderful. Her blue eyes widened slightly and twinkled a bit. "_Delicious_."

And that seemed to please the Elf, for his smile widened a bit more. "Ah, the praise warms my heart, my lady," Lindir said, his tone having seemingly taken a lighter one. "It is not so often that we welcome mortals from other...'lands', but the fact that you appreciate our hospitality is a pleasure. Please take your time to fully enjoy it."

There was a pause during which Lindir found himself stunned and at a loss for any more words after seeing Robin's smile; for some reasons there was something enthralling about this mortal. Was it her eyes, so blue and enchanting that he could lose himself into their depth? The way she looked at him without any desire or malice? She and her friends seemed so different from the vile corsairs of Umbar; he had seen her captain no less than twenty minutes ago, yelling and looking for someone he kept calling 'Grim-looking pointy man', an incredibly wide smile and this laughing look on his face. Lindir had also come across the swordsman named Zoro, whose green hair – _green_. By the Valar... – stood out the more of all three pirates, who had appeared to have lost his way into Rivendell (which was quite amusing at first but had quickly become an annoying habit during the sixteen hours they'd been here.). Although he missed one eye, which could be a great disadvantage for said swordsman, Lindir had found himself a bit intimidated by Zoro's glare – had he been glaring? Or just scowling unhappily? – and, to spare himself from catching a headache because he had run into the pirate three times on his way, he had led him into his room.

_By the arm. Like a child_. And as if Zoro's scowl hadn't been deep enough, his next expression had screamed his outrage. Maybe Lindir had been lucky not to get cut.

Nico Robin seemed...normal. If not charming and seductive without meaning it. Lindir blinked several times, holding his breath for seconds. _Mortal. She's only mortal, she should not –_

Piercing blue eyes narrowed slightly while the smile faded to a concerned frown. "Are you alright, Lindir?" Lady Robin inquired, making a move as if she was about to get up.

_There it is._ The Elf just nodded wordlessly, unsure if he could trust his voice not to quiver. And he'd do well to remember his manners around elleths and mortal women. Especially beautiful female pirates. However, the Valar must be laughing at him when Robin actually got on her feet to stare deeply at him, her gaze even more intense and slightly unnerving. He blinked. Twice.

About a minute passed between the two. Then Robin decided to have mercy on the poor Elf and she smiled, crossing her arms under her heavy breasts. Blue eyes twinkled again and the smile was genuine.

"Would you be a dear and keep me company to tell me more about your history, Lindir? As a historian, I'm thirsty and love to learn about any history – _any history_. Elves, Dwarves, Men..." Her smile remained genuine but Lindir could perceive a sense of eagerness in those magnificent blue eyes of hers he could not muster the will to refuse. His breath hitched as she pronounced the following words. "I would like to know _everything_ I can."

"_Anything you want, my_ – oh, pardon my words!"

Even her laugh was pleasant to listen to.

* * *

"Galadriel, Lady of Light," Robin murmured, tasting the name. It sounded both lovely and alien when she pronounced it. Somehow it had a connotation both beautiful and terrifying to her – something she couldn't really understand. The name was spoken by Lindir with this awe-struck expression where you could both feel the fear mixed with admiration in his voice and eyes. He may have met the elleth at least once in his eternal life and must have felt quite intimidated.

Lindir nodded, his honey eyes studying Robin's face. "You might be a foreigner but her name does sound powerful to you, doesn't it? Even I didn't know how to feel and think the first time I heard of her, I was an elfling back then; she was this magical being you would never want to cross path with if you were an enemy, for Lady Galadriel's power itself is incredible. She could be as kind just as she could be cold, she will allow you to read her emotions as long as you don't pose any threat to her." He seemed to pause, pondering, then shook his head quickly to dismiss the absurd thought. There was _no way_ Robin's captain could behave before Lady Galadriel if he were to ever meet her, given the way he tormented all the Elves in Imladris just by running and screaming in joy everywhere he went. But he had to ask. "Is your captain likely to be respectful in front of Lady Galadriel if the three of you were to actually meet her?"

Robin snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at the Elf, blinking. Her lips quirked a little, as if she was fighting a laugh, and finally couldn't help but giggle at the question. "You mean to ask, would he be able not to offense her in any way?" _Luffy_, behaving in front of a powerful person? Impossible to even imagine. "You said that she could have access to your mind and communicate with each other by telepathy, am I correct?" Lindir nodded. "Then rest assured, Luffy will insult Lady Galadriel for sure and won't even care about being threatened for such outrageous offense," she answered calmly as she took another sip of tea.

The Elf's reaction was priceless: he sputtered the tea he'd been drinking to Robin's utmost delight and amusement, startled. Coughing, he tried to regain contenance in front of the greatly amused and entertained pirate as she watched him with laughing blue eyes. Who could have told Nico Robin that messing with Elves would be so much fun?

Lindir took a moment to regain control of his breathing and collect his thought before facing his companion with bulged, disbelieving honey eyes. "Surely you must be jesting, Lady Robin."

Robin just smiled again. "Am I, now? I don't recall lying about my captain's antics. Besides, that's just how Luffy is with people he doesn't know yet."

There was a small silence between the two during which Lindir tried hard not to argue with the archaelogist, unsure about the manner he needed to approach the subject. She sometimes seemed as sweet and beautiful as a Mearas and as elusive as a black crow, which managed to confuse the Elf most of the tim.

"To think of it," she continued as she gazed at her teacup, "Zoro and I will certainly think just like our captain, you can be certain of that; it _is_ rude to enter someone's mind without being invited and while the two of us will remain as polite as possible, we really can't prevent Luffy from expressing – _and_ showing – his opinion about anything. Outspoken as he is, I won't be surprised if I were to be thrown in prison as well," she finished with an amused smile. "But enough talking about Luffy's behaviour, please tell me more about the time Thorin Oakenshield and his friends came to rest in Rivendell." Her blue eyes hooked Lindir as soon as their gazes met again and she leaned in, all ears and eager.

He cleared his throat. "Right," he breathed, feeling hot under his clothes for unknown reasons. He even feared the threatening appearance of a blush to his cheeks... "Middle Earth had never been so peaceful ever since the Dark Lord's fall, those times were favorable for us Elves; although we did loose many of our kind, it had allowed us to rediscover what bliss and happiness were once again. The Dwarves of Erebor weren't so fortunate – while I may have sympathized with their situation at that time, I couldn't help but think they should have abandoned this quest of reconquering their lost kingdom. When Thorin Oakenshield and his warriors tumbled on our haven's gate, I somehow knew our peaceful days would be troubled." Lindir chuckled humourlessly as he recalled the rudeness and poor manners of the Dwarves back then. "There could have only been one thing to get Thorin Oakenshield and twelve other Dwarves to move out of their safe haven in the Blue Mountains – _Mithrandir_ himself."

Robin was surprised. "Gandalf?"

"Yes, _Gandalf_," Lindir confirmed with a wry smile. "I guess you can imagine my surprise when I welcomed him and the Dwarves in our home but my heritage and manners had forced me to be pleasant towards them. Even though our two races weren't exactly on speaking terms because of King Thranduil's past decision not to help them when the great Smaug came, Lord Elrond still decided to shelter them." He paused to take a sip of his tea, then continued. "Mithrandir travelling with a whole group of Dwarves was strange enough to raise suspicion from all of us, which was later confirmed by the presence of Lady Galadriel and Saruman the White."

But there was something the archaelogist didn't really understand. "Were they after something in particular?" Robin inquired. "Leaving a newly acquired life after running away from an awful death to come back to a kingdom lost to a dragon isn't something anyone would dare to think about, especially if you barely escaped and lost too much during such an assault." Her blue eyes darkened considerably as she frowned. "I...don't understand. What reason could Gandalf _possibly_ have to urge Thorin Oakenshield to take Erebor back from the clutches of Smaug?"

Gandalf had never really explained the role of the Istari in full details, this was a bit vague to Robin's taste; she had no doubt that he was a wise old man with years and years of wisdom behind him, but she couldn't help but wonder if encouraging the late King under the Mountain into taking back his kingdom had been wise and helpful. After what Bilbo told them and the wistful, faraway look he had in his eyes when talking about it, Robin was skeptical and hesitant. The last battle between the Elves, the Dwarves and the Orcs had been nothing but blood and slaughter, death and madness, and there had been so many losses that must have taken a toll on everybody.

Had Thorin Oakenshield not listened to Gandalf those years ago when he had talked him about taking Erebor back from the dragon, would he have survived as well despite him being hunted by his archenemy? Would it have changed anything in the history of Middle Earth? She wasn't one to know but she was tempted to think that if Thorin Oakenshield had lived, maybe things would have been different. _Maybe_. She'd have to ask Lady Galadriel about many things if the two of them were to meet.

Lindir seemed to guess what his companion was thinking and shook his head, looking sheepish. "No one really knows how to read Mithrandir's words properly, he is a cryptic immortal who loves to speak into riddles but his wisdom has always been highly praised. There are not many wise people like him in Middle Earth and you'd do well to heed his counsel whenever you feel lost."

This time Robin frowned deeply, looking upset. And this got Lindir immediately on edge.

"My lady, have I offensed you somehow...?" he asked warily, slightly leaning in.

_A thirst for wisdom, a thirst for knowledge, Robin had thought one night, when she was standing watch. These could be seen and used as deadly weapons if used in any way, whether it was good or bad. Being wise, being knowledgeable. I had wanted to learn ever since I was a small child, having found a rich haven in my books; the Tree of Knowledge had become my salvation when I thought I couldn't get to know what being accepted really meant. My sweet, lovely and precious salvation. There was so much to learn, so much to read. Eagerness and impatience were two defaults that couldn't mix well because I caught myself into a thin, intricate web of mysteries even more dangerous that my still young mind could ever possibly know and understand._

_The Void Century. How intricate was it? All these Poneglyphs I keep finding in different islands are tricky riddles that I strive to understand but give so much informations at the same time. I can't say for sure they will lead me to the legendary Rio Poneglyph, there seemed to be so many of these steles hidden in the world telling the life of a civilisation that vanished from the surface of the earth and the World Government is willing and putting extreme efforts to keep secrets about the Void Century unheard or undiscovered. I'd never seen the thirst of knowledge as a dangerous threat before but I've recently discovered that being wise also held a dark twist. _**It always did have one**_._

Robin scowled as she crossed her arms under her chest. You could be called the wisest man walking in Middle Earth or travelling the entire Grand Line, there would _always_ be a dark side linked to wisdom; whatever advice you could give someone who's lost himself on his path of life could lead that someone to an unwanted and macabre fate. You could say it was necessary or not, you could say you wanted to change the tide of fortune because you felt it wasn't meant to be this way, you can't escape the blood on your hands. The archaelogist knew that all too well, she had people she cared about whom had chosen to give up on their own life to save hers because they must have seen something in her that was worth dying for her cause. Gandalf the Grey may be a wise immortal, Robin was sure he couldn't ignore the blood on his hands even though Thorin Oakenshield chose to take Erebor back from Smaug in the end. Because he had been encouraged to, _because he had been encouraged to_.

A twisted, sombre smile found its way to Robin's lips. Ah, the meaning of _wisdom_. It could be so highly praised, yet despised with so much venom because of the grief it could cause to many people around.

**But who was she to care about someone she hadn't met?**

"It's fine, Lindir," she said to the silent Elf. Then she raised her empty cup. "Can I have more tea, please?"

Wise men had more blood on their hands than most people in a lifetime. And even though Nico Robin had also blood on hers, she had needed Monkey D. Luffy to appear in her life to bring her existence into the light for the first time.

* * *

_It's supposed to be peaceful around here, according to the midget_, the green-haired swordsman wondered as he started the three hundredth push-ups series on the floor of his room. _Then why do I feel so tense...?_

If there was something Zoro had learned during his long journey with his friends in the Grand Line, it was mistrust; you could give him all the booze he wanted, he would never drop his guard – so unlike a certain glutton captain! – and would cut down anyone with misguided intentions towards his crew or himself. The Elves of Rivendell may be peaceful creatures who meant no harm, he couldn't help but be distrustful; Middle Earth was this new world he, Luffy and Robin knew nothing of with brand new kinds of danger and mysteries. Although Zoro was sure it would never match the craziness of the New World, there was a high chance the three of them would get entangled into some bullshit because the captain was crazy about adventures of all kinds.

Something would flare his Haki from time to time and he would perk up, suddenly alert and tense. But whatever that was it would disappear as quickly as it came, without giving him the time to identify the source and its direction. Zoro scoffed in annoyance as he started another series of push-ups on one hand, putting the other behind his powerful back and breathing evenly. Was some shitty stranger with telepathic powers trying to mess with him? It'd be interesting to see if there was someone strong enough to challenge him in Middle Earth, that would be another sort of training before journeying further in the New World, where they would all fight to the best of their abilities, where they would meet the greatest pirates – where all of them should, in the end, complete their dreams.

Upon thinking about Bilbo he paused in his training, taking his time to rest and eyeing the sky with a dark look. The Hobbit might be slightly aware of the powerful hold his 'trinket' had on him, but Zoro could feel it as if it was a collar choking him tight whenever his Haki felt Old Bilbo's presence near; the sickening sensation that emanated from the small midget never seemed to go away, even after he left the Shire without the ring. Zoro remembered that he'd heard the Hobbit mumble in his sleep before they could reach the elven haven – what were the words he had heard?

'_Mine. Mine, not yours. __**Mine**__. It's __**mine**__._'

Zoro had noticed the desire in these words, barely hidden and painfully palpable in his raspy voice. He still remembered the forlorn, longing look in his eyes when he was forced to leave the ring behind. There was no point in denying that Bilbo was still talking about that blasted thing. How _powerful_ was this fucking curse to transform Bilbo into a craving, addicted man who couldn't get enough of his drug? The aura surrounding Rivendell was pure and the swordsman was sure it was due to some elven trick, surely it could do something against the malevolent air cloaking Old Bilbo. It always managed to give Zoro the creeps whenever he went near him and that wasn't a good thing. _If that curse were to go after Luffy or Robin –_

A cracking noise brought him back to reality and he looked down. Turns out that dwelling on the cursed ring had made him shatter the ground beneath his hand, his strong fingers having curled up on their own and crushed the material as if it were a stick. Zoro frowned as he sat up, sweat trickling down his well-built body from the intense training but he didn't give a damn about that. Something kept triggering his hardened instincts with troubling ease, which was pretty rare considering the fact that he had worked his ass off to survive Mihawk's training and learn anything the swordsmaster had decided to teach him. He had learned to develop all five senses and his Haki (it was a pity he couldn't get to awaken his Haoshoku Haki but the other two were enough for now. _For now_.) to help and protect his captain in their journey into the New World, he wasn't going to allow some evil curse from another world ruin his mental state before the real deal could even start in the second half of the Grand Line.

_But still_, Zoro thought darkly, _if what that old sorcerer said it's true, then we might run into some trouble around during our stay here. _The likelihood of the Strawhats getting into trouble everywhere they go was damn high and the fact that they couldn't do anything about it was annoying. Zoro wouldn't be surprised if someone tried to interfere with their plans of going back to the sea of the New World and the rest of their friends – who must be scared shitless and crying their panties off (mostly Nami, Chopper and Usopp. Ero-Cook could go fuck himself. And Brook...whatever that walking, singing skeleton could be up to. The same goes with Franky.). Zoro, Robin and Luffy needed to be prepared to face anything and whatever Middle Earth had to launch them in the head.

He recognized Luffy's treading seconds before the rubber man showed up, barging through the door with a wide, excited grin stretching his lips. Zoro immediately relaxed as he arched an eyebrow, wondering what could make his captain – besides food and overly dangerous fun that could kill him if he wasn't being careful – so joyous at this moment.

"What, Luffy?" the swordsman inquired.

"Shishishishishishi! Zoro, do you think we could ask the Elves to cook me meat for dinner this time?" he wondered, his eyes already morphed into two pieces of meat.

Ever since he discovered that Elves would damn themselves for hurting and killing (eating included) animals, Luffy wouldn't stop bothering them until he gets his meat. Ah, the _irony_! Zoro could almost snort in laughter, knowing that Luffy's stubborn personality would tire all of the Elves long before _he_ himself could get tired of asking. And even though Zoro was too lazy to bitch about their diet, he actually missed meat in his plate (not to the point of admitting that he missed Dart Brow's cooking but...) and while vegetables were also good, meat was essential as well.

"Do you want them to draw holes into your body with their arrows?" he asked sarcastically, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "You're already driving them to a pitch just by being yourself, why don't you just let it go? Maybe we'll run into another town after leaving Rivendell where you'll have all the meat you want."

But Luffy wasn't having any of it, judging by the way his brown eyes sparkled into the light. "Or _maybe_ we could just sneak out to catch animals. Surely there must be some in the area...maybe boars or even wolves?" At this point he was drooling, uncaring if he looked or sounded frightening.

And he didn't care But the elleth that was passing by, however, did: her terrified scream could be heard from his room even though she was fast on her feet to run away from them. Zoro smirked in amusement, then laughed both heartily and mockingly. "You'll scare all the women around if you keep talking like that, it would be rude to brush their hospitality off. This Elrond guy would be greatly offended."

If it wasn't done already.

It took him minutes but, as Zoro suspected, Luffy eventually settled down and became serious; the laughter, excitement and hunger vanished from his face as he looked at his first mate and squatted down next to him. The atmosphere had also shifted, matching the two pirates' serious expressions. If he were to be completely honest, Zoro felt quite relieved that Luffy decided to take the matter seriously; the idea of being stranded in a completely different universe where they were hopelessly ignorant should have disturbed Luffy to the point he would have stuck to Robin's side to search into books any way to go back to the New World and their friends. Zoro was no idiot: his captain wasn't irresponsible or senseless, he knew that making all of his friends worried sick was his greatest fear. And as his first mate, Zoro just knew without asking. That was how their relationship just worked, no words needed.

"What troubles you, Luffy?" the green-haired swordsman finally asked.

"Old midget," was the simple answer. His captain then frowned deeply, his brown eyes downcast. "_That_ _ring_."

The first mate just waited patiently for Luffy to continue and find his words to express what he was thinking.

"I felt it just like you – maybe even more than you because I pretended not to feel its... 'interest' in me or whatever the heck that is." His right hand curled into a tight fist. "It's as if there was a... malevolent spirit living within that ring: it was whispering promises to me, assuring me that it would grant my deepest wishes like no other power ever could. As if there wasn't a Devil Fruit that could do that. I felt so nauseous near that ring, Zoro. Near Old midget since he was the owner. And even though he left it behind, it's as if its horrendous aura had clung to him and wasn't going to let him go. I don't like, Zoro. _I don't like it_." The last sentence was a mere whisper, light in the thick atmosphere of the room.

_Damn, I knew it_, the green-haired swordsman thought as he closed his one valid eye, gritting his teeth. There was no point in lying to Luffy – Zoro was just unable to lie to him – and if he had also felt the evil and powerful aura emanating from Bilbo's ring, then –

"It's up to you, captain," he declared. "Whatever you have in mind..."

"_...I'll follow. You know I always will."_

* * *

Life may be peaceful and quiet in Rivendell, but that didn't really suit Monkey D. Luffy well. It hadn't taken long before he finally snapped; there had been angry yells and wild commotion in the Last Homely House, mostly caused by the pirate captain as he tried to raid the forest to hunt potential boars to have the cooks his meat on the second day they spent in the elven haven. Many Elves had tried to stop the meat-loving man and reason with him (the twins Elladan and Elrohir had been among those who, despite Luffy's humongous strength when driven mad because he hadn't had meat for days, were persuaded that dealing with Luffy would be like handling a child throwing a tantrum. _Funny_, because Robin had made sure to tell the Elves to be careful around a very hungry Monkey D. Luffy.) and many had been launched around as if they didn't weigh anything to him. This display of strength had been watched by a highly amused Robin, whose blue eyes twinkled in gentle mockery towards two battered twins with twigs in their hair and rumpled clothes – Zoro had been napping near the struggle when the 'incident' occurred but had cracked his eye open just to see what was the commotion, then had gone back to sleep once he analyzed the situation (Luffy having gone haywire from the lack of meat was so ordinary to him. Be that way, those Elves had it coming.).

_His stomach had been expressing its discontent and just like its owner, it was howling for the delicious meat only Sanji could cook like the master chef he was. The loud grumble that echoed in the clearing made his features twitch uncharacteristically. "That's it, I'm done!" Luffy had exclaimed, jumping up onto his feet and a deep scowl set in place to show his frustration. He whipped around and smashed his fist against his open palm, cracking his knuckles. "Screw that grim-looking pointy man, I'm gonna catch some boars and make them cook my meat!" He had then started to storm towards what he supposed to be the exit._

_Of course, Luffy being Luffy meant that he had managed to get lost in Rivendell. With an incredibly loud stomach that wouldn't stop grumbling. So that had left him to run and turn everywhere, occasionally scaring some maids passing by. The noises had attracted some Elves and, upon hearing him scream that he was going to hunt, they had all sprung into action in order to stop the meat-loving maniac. _

_Robin had been reading a book nearby when she heard the commotion, but she hadn't lifted her head to see what was happening because she already knew the cause of all this. The archaelogist had smiled in amusement and had kept reading despite the rambunctious mess her captain and the Elves were making._

"_Aaargh, let go!" Luffy was yelling. "I. Want. MEAT!"_

Telling Luffy to adapt himself to the elven diet while staying in Rivendell was like asking him to never eat any meat again – actually, his exact words were '_What the hell is wrong with you, Olmond?! Meat is good for your health – at least for me. And you want me to eat salad all the time? This is the most meaningless and the stupidest thing I've ever been told!_' and from the loudness of his voice, Elrond was sure that everyone in Imladris had heard him. Never mind the fact that he had mispelled his name _again_. Having braced himself the Half-Elf had challenged Luffy for a long period of time during which the pirate captain had stubbornly refused to back down and give up on his idea, a deep frown set on his lips. If he were to be honest, Elrond had sincerely thought he would succeed. _Really_. That would have been an impressive victory against Straw-Hat Luffy concerning food.

"We _must_ send them off," he had declared tiredly _ten minutes_ later, fingers pressuring his temples. His eyes were closed due to his pounding headache and the only remedy to calm his nerves was a cup of green tea, still hot and steaming. Luffy had won his 'challenge' against Elrond and was certainly probably raising hell with his first mate into the forest, delighted and grinning madly. "The captain and his first mate. Lady Robin can stay here, she is no trouble."

Or so he _thought_ she was no trouble at all. The woman was just so subtle and more polite than her two friends that Elrond firmly believed she couldn't cause mayhem like her young captain all by herself. No, she couldn't; Nico Robin was a lady – anyone could have mistaken her for an elleth due to her antics and graceful demeanor – and couldn't possibly be as brash and maddening as Luffy. So –

"_You seem to have become good friends with Lady Robin, Lindir," Elrond had commented one day. "Are you helping her in her research?"_

_The younger Elf had smiled – quite mysteriously, Elrond had noted with curiosity. "She has proven to be extremely intelligent and eager to learn. She told me stories from their world, which had me practically begging for more. Lady Robin knows so many things and yet she still craves for more knowledge." He had chuckled amusingly before saluting his lord and walking away, Elrond's eyes trailing after him._

Days passed. There was more more mayhem coming from Luffy and Zoro as both of them kept driving the Elves mad but this time, _this time_, it had completely different reasons – the first being Luffy's strange and astonishing body that had literally _stretched over the table_ to snatch food from other plates under the disbelieving eyes of many Elves – Elrond and his sons and daughter included. Shouts and jumps of surprise filled the deafening silence that had taken silence over the table for the next five seconds and everyone was now looking at the young captain who, blissfully ignoring the stares, kept stuffing his mouth at great speed.

Explanations were demanded by a very surprised Elrond and Robin provided them, smiling amusingly as she revealed their Devil Fruit powers – _'which is something you should have told us on the very first day you've arrived at our home!'_ Elladan had said accusingly, to which Robin had chuckled before answering.

"But where would be the fun in not succeeding in surprising you a little bit? Come now, be a sport and enjoy the feat." Then her blue eyes glanced at some plates and her smile widened. "While you still can."

Turns out that Luffy was quicker when no one was paying attention to him, which brought the lively dinner back on track. Such an action would have made the Dwarves bristle in anger and curse in Dwarvish. Just to remain as polite and graceful as he was taught, Elrohir smiled and 'gently' insulted Luffy in Sindarin.

Zoro snorted, a smirk on his face as he took a bite of his meat. "Should've seen that coming, since they speak so highly of their skills."

The second reason brought Elrond some kind of relief: Thranduil and Lady Galadriel had finally answered his letters, telling that the three pirates were most welcome into their homes. They both came from messengers from their respective forests, elven havens both so far away from Imladris. When Robin heard of this she looked quite content – if not excited, given by the gleam in her clear eyes.

"This might help me in my research if the Elven King agrees to let me spend some time in Mirkwood," she said as she crossed her arms under her chest. "I'll make sure to thank him once I'm there. What will you do then, captain? Zoro?" she asked as she turned towards her friends.

Her question was met with silence and, for the very first time, Elrond could see how serious Monkey D. Luffy looked: his eyes had lost their laughter, replaced by a somewhat neutral seriousness that seemed so unlike the childish behaviour he'd been displaying these past weeks. The Half-Elf couldn't believe this was the same person standing before him. The aura surrounding the young boy felt both solemn and crushing at the same time – was it even _possible_?

Luffy was having a hard time deciding. Separating once again would mean that they won't have any means of communication to know if the three of them were alright, when split up like this. Middle Earth was vast and unknown to them, a field where there was a high chance they would be rendered helpless because they were horribly unfamiliar with this whole universe and, furthermore, there was this thing with Bilbo's ring; while Robin hadn't awakened her Haki and should be safe far from that atrocity, Luffy couldn't help but think that there was more to it. And his guts were telling him that it was even more gruesome than he could imagine (far, _far_ more gruesome than _that horror_ from that island back then...).

Nevertheless, he had to ask Robin. "Will you be fine on your own?" His gaze never wavered from her blue eyes. Not once.

She nodded. "I will. And besides, only you know best, captain. We'll be far from each other for a while but somehow... _somehow_, you always know we'll find each other again, right?"

Those were the words he liked to hear from his friends, liked to know because they spoke the truth. Luffy took a breath, then broke into his gigantic smile. Zoro followed suit, satisfied.

"Shishishishishi! That's right!"

_Only him knows best._

* * *

**Author's Note 3:** Sheesh. That one took even longer – because I've been both lazy and busy with college. Huh. But it's here, isn't?

**Next chapter:** _If There's A Tomorrow For Us_


	9. If There's A Tomorrow For Us

**Chapter Nine:** _If There's A Tomorrow For Us_

* * *

Robin's blue eyes sparkled with a mysterious glint as she put a hand under her chin. "So you're saying that Elvenking Thranduil Oropherion is the epitome of the arrogance of your race? Interesting," she said, a small smile curving her lips. "From what Lindir told me about all races of Middle Earth and from what I've understood, Elves and Dwarves are equally proud and too stubborn to forgive the main betrayal that got their friendship forsaken forever, all past issues because of the pride of the Dwarves of Erebor and embrace what could become a better future together. I must say, it's a shame that such friendship had to be broken because one king was thinking about the lives of his people first; if the king falls, then his people will fall with him." She stopped, thinking about all this for a second. "But has Thorin Oakenshield thought about a possible – even if it were fickle – way to revive this broken friendship between your two races before his death? Surely this feud could have been settled somehow."

There was a snort, immediately followed by a painful hiss when his arm was twisted a little higher. Robin cocked her head, smiling. "I'm sorry, what was that?" she asked smoothly.

"... nothing, Lady Robin," Elladan hissed, his face scrunching up in pain. Then he groaned, trying hard to wriggle his way out of the arms wrestling him down without effort. "Nothing at all. D-do continue, by all means. But please, can you release us?"

The Devil's Child chuckled, crossing one leg on another and staring down at the trapped twins in the extra arms that had sprouted on either sides of their bodies to lock them in place. "Aren't you being well-mannered, now? This humble behaviour I'm witnessing doesn't match the one you had fifteen minutes ago when I caught you. I could have snapped your spine in two, you know," she admitted with a smile, which sent very unpleasant shivers down their spines. "If I remember Lindir's descriptions about the Dwarves, the words 'stubborn', 'greedy', 'careless' and 'blind' seem fit to describe them back in the old days, when they were still digging in their mines for gold. Isn't this what the Elvenking Thranduil is?"

"_Was_!" Elrohir protested hotly. "Truth to be told, Sire Thranduil was quite the conceited Elf and liked to show how much our race was much better – especially when Thorin Oakenshield was still alive. But I really do think his view of the world has deeply changed with the aftermath of the war at Erebor."

So many of their kin died during that war sixty years ago at Erebor, because Thranduil couldn't let go of his own desire and came to bear negociations with the King under the mountain. Foolish decisions, one might say, when the late Thorin Oakenshield was being hunted down by his archenemy who had raised two armies to kill just a bunch of Dwarves. Madness, Gandalf had shouted. Stupid, the twins had secretly thought once they had heard of the brothers who had fallen prey to Erebor. Those were harsh words indeed, but they spoke the truth.

"Oh? Well then, I'm looking forward to meet him in person," the archaelogist declared to the twins, who shared a quick glance. Robin caught that look and smiled down at them gently, tucking her chin in one hand. "What is it? I may be part of an irrational, maddening pirate crew and have a very hyperactive captain, but I still remember my manners in front of a king."

Which _could_ be understood like this in Robin's mind: _"I __a__m not going to insult Thranduil once I see him, because __your__ past is __your__ past and that has nothing to do with me __or my captain__. I'm just going to Mirkwood to __gather anything I would need to find out who or what caused us to get into Middle Earth. Thoughts about harming the Elvenking __are all but banned but if I were to be threatened or anything else because of his doing, I won't hesitate to take him down. Whether he is king or not."_

Who really knew what was going on in Nico Robin's mind whenever she was thinking? If even her friends couldn't guess what she was thinking, then Elves wouldn't likely be able to know either; the last archaelogist of Ohara worked hard to build up her mind as a puzzle, a labyrinth in which only she knew the way out. And even if she was working on showing her true emotions and thoughts to everyone in the crew, that absolutely didn't mean she had to trust the Elves and all their words. _Especially the magician, Gandalf_.

But what the twins _understood_ was a bit like this: _"__Should he try to sneak up on me, I _will_ break him. Then I will apologize for doing this. After all, he is still a king ~."_

And she could do this with a smile!

Elrohir craned his neck to look at the archaelogist in the eyes, wincing a little. "If you're still suspicious and wary about the Elvenking, then we might as well introduce you to his son." When Robin's eyes fell on him, curious, he nodded to her. "The Elvenking Thranduil has a son, Legolas Greenleaf. While our Woodland brethren aren't as lenient and understanding as we are, Prince Legolas makes the difference by being more reasonable than his father. Lady Robin, if you aren't comfortable around the Elvenking –"

"No need," she immediately cut him off, startling both twins. Then she smiled mysteriously at them, glancing to the side with her fingers to her lips. "I'll be just fine with King Thranduil. In fact, I'm really looking forward to visit the Woodland Kingdom. The _whole_ Woodland Kingdom and all the surrounding areas, that is. He did agree to let me do some research, didn't he? Then, my point is, he wouldn't mind if I were to wander everywhere to gather any information that might help me... would he?" she wondered.

Somehow her smile seemed to be mischevious to the twins but, as they stared at her, they were unable to tell if Robin was just joking or really thinking about handling Thranduil in her own way. Elrohir and Elladan glanced at each other, suddenly feeling all but nervous about it. Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro seemed to be a handful all by themselves, but could it be that their female comrade was somehow the most troublesome? Especially when they couldn't read her expressions and thoughts correctly?

The three strangers had proven to be a joyful, rowdy bunch, but there was the fact that they were unaware of the customs of all the races in Middle Earth – starting by the Elves. Though Elrond was certain that Lady Robin would be fine among their brethren because she seemed to fit perfectly, the likelihood of rising tensions between them and the pirates was uncertain; while Thranduil might not resent the Men as much as he resented Dwarves since Thror's lineage, he was still able and merciless enough to imprison a woman in his own kingdom if she does so much as offend him greatly. And since Lady Robin wouldn't hesitate to defend herself, her powers alone would be enough to eliminate Thranduil... breaking his spine in half? If the Elvenking knew that woman was so dangerous, he wouldn't dare to offend her.

And _Luffy_? _Zoro_? Where would they go while their friend was off searching for answers? Elrond would have to ask them what they would do on their own, since they wouldn't be going with Lady Robin; from what they've learned from the pirate captain, he was quite the adventurous and reckless boy who wasn't afraid of risking his life to become the Pirate King – the one person who would know what true freedom was like, even though he was viewed as a criminal to most of the rest of the world because of his actions. Luffy, albeit being very young, had displayed an incredible willpower for someone so small and childlike – compared to his first mate, who seemed to have the look of someone much stronger than the rubberman. The twins had to admit that they were pretty amazed – though still incredulous – that this boy and his crew were pirates, keen on fighting to reach their dreams. Was there such thing as having a dream while being a criminal in their world? Was it even... allowed?

Lady Robin had explained the complex system of the World Government and the Marine when Elrond had asked about it. Though there were still parts that seemed so surreal, the twins had grasped the main thing to know and remember about that organization; it was never fair and honest to pirates _and_ people who weren't criminals by choice or force. Their view and ideal of justice was just so horrible that Elladan and Elrohir just couldn't imagine what the victims of the World Government could have gone through. It was twisted, always devoid of any humanity and willing to go through unthinkable lengths to get something done.

"_They always think that the world would be better off without people associated to great evil," Lady Robin had declared darkly, her eyes shadowed. "To have a devil erased, the World Government is willing to through any kind of length, to sacrifice anyone so that justice will always triumph. Consequences don't and will never matter to them, as long as they win in the end."_

Elladan remembered feeling utterly disgusted by such cruelty, and listening to Lady Robin's words of explanation about the system of her world had almost made him regret asking. Plus, there was something in her tone that pushed him to believe that she must have gone through the same thing... and she somehow escaped this nightmare. Now Elladan was not one to pry, but he believed that whatever that woman must have been thrown into had almost sealed her fate. Was the World Government involved? She didn't say anything about her – and it wasn't as if the twins would ask – or about her friends, but since she knew a lot about that organization, she must be a prized and valuable target to those monsters.

Elrohir frowned lightly. Didn't Lady Robin say that all their adventures were one crazy thing after another? Their very presence in Middle Earth was another mystery they had yet to understand, which triggered the pirate archaelogist to investigate it as deep as possible. Until they could go back to their world and their other crewmates, she'd search and search until she found the answer – those blue eyes of hers held willpower even the blasted Dwarves could grow to admire. _But_, he thought, _her captain's seems to be so much more incredible_.

But what would he and his first mate do while their archaelogist would be looking for answers and informations?

Elladan let out a small whimper, his face strained. "Lady Robin... do you mind releasing us?" he asked politely. "While we Elves may be nimble, we're not... like your captain."

"We can't be as nimble and flexible as he is. And we are both very sorry about our previous actions toward you, you expertly made us understand that you're not to be taken this lightly. This will never happen again," Elrohir promised with a hopeful smile to the beautiful woman.

She answered with a slight chuckle... followed by screams of pain and pleas, more promises to never do such thing again.

But she still forgave them. _Seriously_!

* * *

About two hours later, Rivendell was buzzing with a strange sense of excitement the immortal race had long forgotten; everyone in Middle Earth knew how proud the Elves were of their superior combat skills, because that was what made them the most hardened and difficult opponents to their enemies. Since Zoro was looking forward to a real, hard challenge to kill his boredom, the green-haired swordsman had deliberately provoked the best fighters of Rivendell to a spar. 'Provoked' was the right word to use, since the Pirate Hunter had been pointedly offended when one Elf had remarked how the lack of an eye would certainly prove to be lethal to him; again, Zoro had brushed it off at first, not feeling particularly keen on answering the proud and arrogant immortal (why should he tell him about his Haki in the first place? Sure, the lack of an eye was severe to a swordsman since he needed his eyesight to its full potential, but when Mihawk taught him how to use Observation Haki to compensate the loss of his left eye and Armament Haki to prevent his swords from breaking again, everything just _changed_. And for the better, the New World was a hundred times harsher than the first half of the Grand Line).

In fact, what had driven Zoro to _think_ about cutting down the Elf and stepping on his pride with a manic grin was his words.

"_That little boy with the straw hat does not strike me as a leader. He is more childish than an actual captain and would more than likely not survive Middle Earth and its dangers if he were to be all alone."_

He had almost burst out laughing at the Elf, uncaring if he were to insult him. Luffy didn't have to prove anything to those stuck-up, long-haired excuses for a superior race, they didn't know his captain. Zoro had never questioned and opposed to his way of doing things, since he will always follow him. If something bothered him, he will let him know and they will think of a way to work things out.

But what had driven the Pirate Hunter to actually _want_ to finally give that Elf a piece of his mind with his Three-Sword style was those words.

"_I do not know if you are as foolish as that idiotic boy, Roronoa Zoro, but I do think it's unwise to follow him. There is a chance that Monkey D. Luffy will lead you to an early grave."_

Zoro had never felt so close to killing – it had been such a long time since he last killed someone. People may mock them for believing in legends and crazy dreams, people may throw booze at them (although it was a waste, according to Zoro. Such good drink...), but criticize his captain just by judging his behaviour? That had to be the ultimate insult. Roronoa Zoro knew he hadn't made a mistake by joining Luffy, so why should he prove it to that Elf? No, he just wanted him to shut the hell up. By the most humiliating way for an Elf.

"_Well," Zoro had responded calmly. A hand went to his swords while a manic, demonic grin tugged at his lips. His only eye showed a glint of malice. "Why don't I give you a taste of good, deserved humilition? Then, I'll listen to your apologies, if you are even capable of doing such thing. Or maybe is it too much for Elves? That should be interesting to see how well you handle humiliation as a life lesson."_

Zoro let his eye wander around the training grounds, silent. Many Elves were talking to each other rather quickly in their native language, sometimes glancing at him with curious eyes. He frowned and snorted, not even impressed or ticked off. So he was getting a public? Who was looking forward to see if he was going to regret provoking an Elf? Che. _Arrogant bastards_. And Robin would soon be off to deal with one of the most arrogant of that race. Had she been with him when that Elf made that snide remark about Luffy, things wouldn't have gone so far; protecting Luffy's honor was the Strawhat crew's duty, not only his. Robin would have handled things in her own way (broken bones, screams of pain and pleas from the Elf that had been stupid enough to insult their captain would ensure an intense humiliation to that overly proud race.), but somehow, Zoro wanted to be the one to get this done. In his own way, or sort of.

Robin strolled graciously toward him, smiling. She was clad in a fine, white gown that exposed her lovely curves – she must have borrowed it from Elrond's daughter, Arwen. – and certainly didn't fail to attract attention from the seated Elves. But she didn't even seem to notice. "If I were to guess from the commotion and the cold glare that Elf in front of you is throwing you, I'd say you provoked him into a spar," she mused, her blue eyes twinkling. "Though it might be just because you were bored out of your mind, I doubt the reason is because you were bored this time."

Zoro smirked. Really, it was good to know that Robin was on his side, for she would have been a great foe. Being able to read him just this easily was frightening. "I'm just gonna teach this Elf what is humiliation and respect, I'm not gonna hurt him." _Just hurt him where it's gonna hurt like a bitch. _"It's not like I'm gonna go serious on him." _How about I break his nerves and muscles so that he won't ever be able to use a sword or a dagger?_ "So, did you finalize your preparations to Mirkwood with Elrond?" he asked her, fingering his swords.

"Yes," the archaelogist answered, crossing her arms under her chest. "Since I don't know the road to the Woodland kingdom, Lord Elrond said that I will have to ride with Prince Legolas' escort." When Zoro looked up at her with a questioning gaze, she blinked as her eyes lit up in recognition. "That's right, you weren't there when he spoke about gathering the three races for a council." An enigmatic smile across her face was all it took for the swordsman to put two and two together. _Robin, you little spy!_ "My guess is, it concerns Bilbo's ring."

Ah, _now_ it was getting pretty interesting; Bilbo's ring hadn't been brought about ever since Zoro and Luffy talked about it days ago, when they both shared similar concerns about the blasted trinket. None of them didn't know what was wrong with this ring but they had felt enough to stay away from that abomination. If Robin had spied on Elrond with her Devil Fruit powers and collected anything useful, that meant that something was up – Luffy would be ecstatic about getting another adventure, albeit in a different world, but wouldn't complain. Zoro would see it as another way to grow stronger and Robin... it was just more knowledge for her.

The smirk on his face grew devilish. "Tell me later. For now, I've got some unfinished business with Mr. Arrogant here, so I need to cut down his immortal ass."

Robin chuckled. "Fair enough. Don't kill him, Zoro," she reminded him as she went to sit down beside another female Elf. "That would be pretty bad and ominous for us if you were to be thrown in prison for killing one of our hosts. And I'm sure you do want to go back to the New World as much as Luffy, right?"

"_What did I just say, woman_?!" he shouted at her, annoyed. "I'm not gonna kill him, this is just a spar!" _I'm just gonna 'maim' him a little on his ego. A bruise won't be enough. Skewer his immortal ass? Che._

Lord Elrond, who must have heard about the commotion, came to stand between the two fighters. His eyes, ancient and yet still sharp, glanced at the blasted and idiotic Elf for a second before resting on the green-haired swordsman. Roronoa Zoro remained focused and unperturbed. The Peredhil was admirative of such control of emotions. He cleared his throat, successfully gaining the attention of everyone in the training grounds.

"Although I am not aware of the circumstances of this spar, I will play as referee," he announced loudly. "This spar here will be held to settle one's issues with the other. I need not to remind you two that it is but a friendly spar: no one will be killed, no one will be _severely_ injured. Is that clear?" Elrond asked, looking at the two fighters pointedly.

"Yes," the Elf, whose name was Lurien, responded at once.

"Whatever," Zoro drawled, eyeing his opponent with a stern stare. "Let's get this over with."

"Well said. BEGIN!" Elrond shouted before retreating.

Mr. Arrogant had already drawn his sword. As for Zoro, he was... actually thinking back. Thinking back about the last time he had a friendly spar or a duel; most of his major fights could have led him to death because they always involved a friend, but he had always come out victorious. Training for two years made him realize how weak he and his friends still were. _Damn it! The world is even bigger than we could ever imagine_, Zoro chided himself mentally. He stared at the Elf, thoughtful. He could end the spar pretty quickly, thus stepping hard on his immortal pride and bruising his ego (he should even question Lurien: _"How is it to lose before someone who isn't of your caliber? Don't you feel so foolish now? Had it been a real duel, you'd probably be dead. Cold and joining those I've killed before becoming my captain's first mate. But at the very least, you would have learnt humility and respect."_). Zoro wouldn't even have to use his Haki, relying on his instincts would be quite enough, but his guts were telling him not to underestimate the Elves – otherwise, why would they boast and pride themselves about their skills?

He fingered the Shuusui and Wado Ichimonji, frowning. No. He wouldn't use Haki. But –

"Come now," Lurien taunted. "Draw your sword. Or _swords_, since you are carrying three of them."

Zoro threw him an annoyed look. "By all means, quit wasting your breath and taunting. It's not gonna work." Pause for one second, though. Then he smirked. "On second thought, never mind. Carry on with it. You're giving me ideas."

Something flashed in his eyes, and Zoro was pleased to recognize the familiar spark of anger. Oh, so even Elves could react to mockery and be blinded by anger? Interesting.

"Are you mocking me, mortal?" Lurien almost snarled.

_That's what he did. That time, back when I was still so ignorant of my own inexperience._ "Can't recognize mockery when you hear it? I thought Elves were sharper and smarter than _mortals_," he insisted on the last word, enjoying Lurien's expression.

Because he looked _exactly_ like the Elf when he had been mocked by someone far, far more powerful than he'd been two years back: livid, his eyes wide in anger. His mind clouded and overcome by the same anger that almost cost him his life. And just like Zoro predicted, Lurien charged.

But he was ready. His eye fell on the dagger on his side, inviting. _Now that was very familiar_. When the Elf was close enough, Zoro side-stepped graciously, tripped his opponent and swiftly stole his dagger while he was staggering to regain his footing. Lurien whirled around, fuming, but frowned at the sight of his weapon in the hands of the green-haired mortal – when did he steal it? He didn't feel anything. Were these outworldly strangers somehow more sneaky and skilled?

Zoro was admirative of the craftmanship: one thing he would admit about the Elves would be their competences about craftmanship. This dagger was beautiful. "Nice," he commented, unsheathing it. Then he looked up at his opponent. "I'll use it."

"You... how... this isn't allowed!" Lurien tried to counter.

"Oh yeah? Nobody said anything about not using your opponent's weapons," Zoro drawled, smirking. "Besides, you better not forget that: I'm a pirate. Rules can be forgotten when there are none and pirates don't care about rules. You can call that cheating and scream and whine as much as you want, I don't care."

The arrogant Elf was close to foaming in rage. "Disgustingly outrageous."

"And I still don't care." Zoro expertly twirled the dagger in his hand, sending Lurien a manic smirk. "Come. I'll teach you some humility – something you clearly lack."

His answers brought cries of outrage from the Elves, but Robin was the only one chuckling and smiling. She seemed to have understood what he was doing right now; humility was sometimes hard to attain when you pride yourself a bit too much. The archaelogist had already labeled the Elves as a proud, arrogant race who rivaled the Dwarves in terms of pride and stubborness – which could be tiring, since they've been at it for years. Again, the Elvenking Thranduil was at fault. Some humility was good and, sometimes, it needed to be taught the hard way. She glanced around the training grounds, noticing the offended glares on many faces and the thoughtful, yet slightly curious expression on Elrond's face.

This will definitely be interesting to witness.

Lurien charged once again at Zoro, fire in his eyes, his sword up... and his blade clashed furiously with his dagger's. The crowd seemed to have held its breath along with him, but soon enough, incredulous whispers started to echo in the place.

"_W-why isn't Lurien moving_?" one Elf asked in Sindarin in a low voice.

"_How come the mortal hasn't backed off from that slash_?" someone else hissed, disbelief clear in his voice.

"_I don't understand..._"

Lurien himself wasn't sure if he did as well: he was putting all his strength in his arms, counting on his superior elven heritage to make the green-haired stranger back off, and yet he hadn't budged. Not even an inch. He didn't seem to have moved from his position – no, _he didn't move at all_. For the first time in a very long while, the Elf felt his confidence falter. This hasn't happened in a long time. His eyes widened in silent disbelief as he assessed his opponent – the green-haired pirate who mocked him.

Zoro held a stern, cold look on his face and his aura was crushing. Literally crushing. Had Lurien not learnt to hold his ground in front of his enemies, he would have pissed his pants already (that would have been more than just shameful to him. Since when Elves cowered in front of mere mortals?). It felt like he was immensely inferior. The green-haired stranger wielded his dagger, parred his sword and was somehow preventing him from moving a muscle – _how?_ Lurien cried mentally to himself. What was more infuriating was the fact that he wasn't even using his own swords, but rather his dagger.

Another mockery. _Strike one_.

The Elf growled, deciding to back off. Then he charged once again, not missing a beat and slashing in the air. Again, his blade was countered very easily. Once again. Twice. Again. _Again_. He was slashing so fast that he couldn't tell if he was using his training in this spar, or if he was just waving his sword around; Zoro met every slash without even breaking eye contact, never losing ground and never really moving either. It was as if he wasn't even trying.

_I think I get it, Hawk-Eye,_ Zoro thought as he side-stepped once again and kicked the Elf in his back, knocking him on the ground. _So that's how it is to feel so inexperienced, so... small and arrogant. I wasn't even half your level and I already thought back then that I was strong enough to take you down._ He frowned as he watched Lurien getting back on his feet. Back then, he was so foolish. Even suicidal. Back then, he was still so painfully ignorant about how big the world was. What a beautiful, unique lesson it had been. And the scar on his torso could be seen as a gift, now that he had a pretty good idea of what the greatest swordsman in the world meant.

"I'm not saying that you're incompetent," Zoro declared, blocking the blade effortlessly. "You're actually pretty good. But the master who trained me is a certified monster, a hundred times stronger than the both of us." Dodge, block, swift kick to the legs. But the Elf always got back up, though his face was now contorted in visible frustration. "And I plan on surpassing him one day."

When Zoro saw an opening for the tenth time, he finally decided to strike: he deflected Lurien's blade with a little more strength, surprising the Elf.

"If I get beaten here by an immortal wanna-be, then I won't be able to show my face to this man... OR MY CAPTAIN!" he exclaimed, stabbing Lurien deep in his right shoulder.

_The pain he felt from being stabbed so close to his heart didn't sting as much as his bruised ego and pride. Zoro had been left stunned by the humongous gap between him and Dracule Mihawk of the Seven Warlords of the Sea; the difference between them was just too great. Hawk-Eye was right. Damn, how could he have been so foolish to think that he could take him on that soon?_

"_ZOROOOOOOOOOOO!" he heard someone scream._

Zoro didn't withdraw his blade at once, watching the Elf's reaction intently. Lurien's features were now contorted in muted shock and pain as he contemplated the position he was in; he, being stabbed in his shoulder by a mere mortal with his own dagger. Maybe the shock from being bested that easily helped numbing the pain in his limb but, as soon as the green-haired swordsman will withdraw the blade, it will finally hit him in full force. The hand holding his sword was trembling, for the pain was preventing him from slashing the air.

"Do you realize something, Elf?" the Pirate Hunter asked.

Lurien had to struggle to look up.

"Maybe you can sense how strong my will is, but you don't know how stronger Luffy's actually is. I feel like I don't have to explain myself to you, but you had such a damn mouth that I couldn't help but do something about it." Zoro's smirk reappeared as he leaned in. "This little idiot, who is running around your home and screaming like crazy, is the only one pirate captain I'd have accepted because he and I both have foolish, yet crazy dreams. He's going to become the next King of the Pirates and I'll become the greatest swordsman. Mind your tongue before making assumptions or I'll cut it for you."

Robin, who was the only one unfazed by her friend's 'demonic threat', smiled sweetly. "Zoro, you're looking quite scary right now," she stated in a matter-of-fact manner. "In fact, I think you've just scared the whole crowd – including Lord Elrond."

She was right: all the present Elves seemed to be a bit paler than usual after listening to Zoro's words – and looking at his expression. His aura had something to do with their state, since the Swordsman's spirit functioned a bit like the Conqueror's Haki; while Robin was sure that several Elves in this crowd were seasoned, hardened warriors who must have survived wars, the Swordsman's spirit would still have an effect on them if said swordsman had a strong will. They looked like they were greatly intimidated by Zoro, starting by his opponent.

_Even though he doesn't have the Conqueror's Haki like Luffy_, she thought with a smile, _he can easily make his opponents freeze in fear._

* * *

"ACHOO!" Luffy suddenly sneezed. He rubbed his nose, cutely pouting.

And he was in the middle of his fifteenth chunk of meat. Who dared to disturb him? Who was talking about him right now? Never mind how he found his way into the kitchens without the chefs noticing him, this was the golden opportunity to eat the stored meat (that he forced the chefs to keep.).

"Sheesh, who's bugging me?" he whined, frowning. Three seconds later, he smiled as he remembered what he was doing – the most important thing for Monkey D. Luffy, by Monkey D. Luffy himself. "Ah, whatever," he drooled before taking a huge bite. "Dis ish shooo good ~."

* * *

"Ack!"

Lurien suddenly found himself on his back, disoriented and having been swept off his feet. He did his best to muffle the yelp of pain that threatened to slip past his lips when his injured shoulder hit the ground rather harshly, but it slipped anyway. While he was halfway to La La Land – the back of his head _did_ hurt like a bitch, he will have you know! –, he vaguely registered the sound of a sword being unsheathed. That sound alone should have activated his keen senses and reflexes, which did make him react –

_THUNK!_

The Elf lay absolutely _frigid_ as two very sharp blades sunk so close to his neck in a X-shaped position, and promptly stopped breathing as he looked up at Roronoa Zoro. As tall as he was, the green-haired swordsman was towering him, his feet stepping on his arms so that he can't move. His sword had been knocked aside, laying a little bit further and out of reach. His eyes were shadowed, his mouth was set into a tight, straight line, but Lurien could tell three things.

1\. He was beaten this easily by a mortal. A stranger, no less.

2\. The mortal with hair the color of moss practically _toyed_ with him. Him – _an Elf_!

3\. … the air was so dense and suffocating around him (and not just because the blades were close to slicing his neck clean, no.) that it could only mean one thing. Roronoa Zoro looked downright _angry_. And the demonic grins and looks he was able to pull off were enough to scare the hell out of him (if Sauron was an abomination feared beyond reason, then he didn't know who or what Roronoa Zoro might be.).

_Just... just how strong –_

"We could spar all day and all night long if you want, but I'd grow annoyed pretty quickly," Zoro said calmly. "Surely you must have realized that you're no match, right?"

It was more like a statement than a question – and it _stung_. Lurien gritted his teeth, silently seething. It stung even more than his earlier mocking comments, because he was right: he was no match at all! He could feel the eyes of his brethren on them, wide in disbelief, he could hear the whispers (all in Sindarin, who knows how keen Zoro's hearing might certainly be? After that spar...), affronted and upset. The green-haired swordsman shifted slightly, allowing Lurien to see his one eye staring down at him with a glare.

"Judging my captain by his behaviour? _Pathetic_. This has to be the dumbest way to judge someone. Aren't you supposed to be a race full of wisdom, according to what Robin said? I don't have to justify myself to you as to why I chose to follow him and Luffy certainly doesn't need to give an explanation, all you need to do is accept the fact that he's the captain and we follow his orders. That's it." He scowled, making Lurien shiver in anticipation. "Whether you apologize or not isn't my concern, I don't care. But you'd be wise not to make the mistake twice, Elf. Because next time..."

This time, Lurien was rewarded with a very demonic, feral grin.

"... _I'll cut you down for sure_!"

* * *

"Alright," Zoro said as he looked at Robin and Luffy, once the three of them were settled in the archaelogist's room, sitting round the table and cleared from eventual eavesdroppers. A quick use of Robin's powers around the area assured the Strawhats that they were fine. Then, his one eye turned toward the older female of the group. "You can tell us, now. What did you get?"

Robin nodded. "To be honest, I'm not sure where to start," she admitted, but went on anyway. "But I think it's best if I start by the bad news, since this will certainly have an effect on our presence here." Then she looked at her two friends dead in the eye. "Gandalf may be missing."

She was proved right, when Luffy jerked in his seat and Zoro stiffened, their eyes wide. The glutton slammed his hands onto the table, halfway standing on his chair. "Whaaaa?! Gondolf is _missing_?! But how are we gonna get back to the Sunny?! To the New World?!" their captain exclaimed all at once.

The green-haired swordsman pinched the bridge of his nose. Maybe the headache would come sooner than he actually thought. "Calm down, Luffy. Let Robin explain, will you?" Zoro sighed, though he was just as shaken as his rubbery captain was.

Though the young captain looked like he wanted to protest, he relented in the end, allowing the archaelogist to explain herself. "I said 'may', not 'is', but that's still a dreaded possibility. According to Lord Elrond, Gandalf was supposed to have sent him a letter more than two weeks ago to confirm the existence of what he called the 'One'." Robin frowned lightly, remembering the words of the book she'd read back in Bree – she knew that name and, if her guts reacted badly, then this couldn't be good. "This is history that goes way back, you know. I need to tell you what happened so that you can understand the main problem. Are you ready?"

Both Luffy and Zoro nodded to her.

"Very well," she nodded back. "A long time ago..."

_All this started when the great rings of power were forged; three were given to the Elves, immortal, the wisest and the most respectable of all beings. Seven to the Dwarf lords, great miners and sculptors of the mountain, and nine were given to Men, who desired power above all. Those great rings were filled with the will to reign over each race in Middle Earth, but they were all deceived..._

… _because another ring was forged._

"Another ring?" Luffy cocked his head on one side, frowning. "I don't understand."

Robin gave him a smile. "If you let me explain – without interrupting me –, maybe you will."

Luffy laughed. "Sorry, sorry."

_This other ring was forged in the Mordor – the only place crawling with foul creatures –, right into the depths of the Mountain of Destiny, by a powerful Dark Lord named Sauron. This Dark Lord desired nothing more than rule over all races in Middle Earth with this ring he had forged from the flames of the Moutain of Destiny. This ring was forged in order to dominate the others, to rule over them and bring their owners to the darkness._

_It was called the One Ring._

_This One Ring is the recipient of the Dark Lord Sauron's cruelty and malevolence, also connected to him; it is said that a part of the foul Maia – the term used to refer to immortal beings such as the Istari – lives in the One Ring. As a source of malice and temptation, it corrupts one's mind with mouth-watering promises and deep desires. In fact, when Middle Earth was on the verge of loss, the Elves and Men allied themselves to stand against the Dark Lord and his army – Lord Elrond was there, just like the one who fell under the spell of the One Ring: Isildur, King of Gondor._

_Isildur was about to die when, in an act of last resort, managed to defeat Sauron by cutting off the finger holding the Ring. This marked the end of the terrible war, but also marked the beginning of the fall of Men._

Zoro had an idea about what Robin meant. "Let me guess," he said sourly. "Since that Ring is a part of that Dark Lord, the best way to get rid of him would be to destroy his precious trinket. That's what I would have done." He gritted his teeth in annoyance, finally understanding why he's been so edgy around a certain Hobbit. "And since I don't think he could have made two of them, we seemed to have encountered the One Ring in its full glory in the Shire, in Old Bilbo's hands..."

Robin nodded. "You're correct, Zoro. Isildur didn't destroy the Ring when Lord Elrond asked him to throw it in the flames of the Mountain of Destiny. That would have get rid all Middle Earth of this evil, don't you think? But there's something that bothers me." She gave her friends a grim look. "_How_ did Bilbo get his hands on the One Ring? I've read that Isildur died tragically because of it, since the Ring 'betrayed' him somehow, and it disappeared. It disappeared for two thousand and five hundred years, and now..."

"And now, Bilbo has it. No, let's use the past tense since he left it back in his home," the swordsman grunted. "That's some pretty messed up history this world has, but I don't think it matches ours and all the crap that happens or happened."

"Nevertheless, it's quite unsurprising that someone would be tempted to take the One Ring for himself instead of destroying it for ever," Robin went on. "Envy and greed had always been the targeted sins in every being, a look at the former leader of CP9 is enough to know how far one can go to get what he wants."

The last sentence was said with a small shiver and a dark look. That despicable Spandam deserved every last injury she'd given him two years back, in Enies Lobby; tormenting her with her childhood fear, using it to force her to cooperate and give up on hope and life because her whole existence was a sin... snapping his spine might not have been enough, but it had relieved her so much.

A hand fell on her shoulder, clasping it as an act of comfort. Robin blinked, chasing away the dark and nightmarish thoughts of Enies Lobby, and looked up to see Zoro and Luffy watching her intently. The latter was grinning reassuringly, as if silently saying _"It's all good. Now we're all together. It's over, Robin. Over."_. The archaelogist smiled gratefully, nodding at her two friends.

All of this was behind, two years old. She didn't have to fear it once again.

"So, back on the topic," Zoro said, folding his arms back against his torso. "Old Bilbo was in possession of the One Ring, that would explain this sickening feeling Luffy and I always felt around him... but for _how long_ has he been in possession of that thing? For him to cling to that blasted thing like a crazed, obsessive maniac, it must have played with his mind for quite some time..."

Luffy perked up, grinning. "Oh, I know!" he exclaimed, waving his arm back and forth like a third-grader. "Let's ask him!"

"After witnessing how he reacted to my words about it? I don't think this would be a good idea, Luffy." In fact, Robin was against it: this would raise suspicions among the Elves. "He might even evade the subject like the plague, or worst, think that it was a mistake leaving without it; the hesitation he showed back there was terrifying – a clear sign of his possessiveness toward the One Ring. It may be a good thing that Gandalf convinced Bilbo to leave it to Frodo, for it would have brought him great misfortune – like death by decapitation or execution by someone who desired the Ring for himself."

Robin and her morbid comments. But even when she was just making assumptions, she wouldn't lose her touch. "Sheesh. What a mess," Zoro sighed, a look of annoyance glinting in his one eye.

Robin nodded. "Indeed."

Luffy pouted. "Maaaaaaaaan, that's so complicated!" he whined, clearly having not understood anything about all this history. He put his arms behind his head, nestling it. "But what about Gendilf? Should we ask Grim-looking, pointy guy about it?"

"No," his first mate responded for him, reaching for his drink (ale? As long as it was like beer...). "Weren't you listening, idiot? Robin said we shouldn't, because it might be suspicious. I don't know he didn't tell us about Gandalf – for all we know, that old geezer might be our only chance to go back."

Luffy blinked. "Oh yeah, right." He seemed to think about it for about three seconds before reaching to a decision. "Then, we'll go look for him! We need him!" Then he laughed, his wide grin now back in full force. "I bet Usopp and Chopper are scared."

Robin joined the fun, now smiling. "So must be Nami," she added with a chuckle. "Since we've lost all communication with her in the Shark submarine, the chances that she must be screaming her head off are quite high. Do you think she and Usopp believe that something really bad happened to us? Let's see... like a murderous Sea monster living in the cave breaking our vessel?"

Zoro grimaced, rolling his eye. "Knowing Usopp, only he must think something like that. Don't know about the greedy witch, but she must be freaking out right now. In fact, all of them must be pretty spooked right now."

Of course they were all spooked – minus the crappy cook, who could go to hell and rot for all Zoro cared. Two of their strongest fighters and their smartest friend had disappeared in the mystery cave Luffy wanted to investigate; knowing Nami, she'd pin the blame on him for making them worry so much (then, she'd certainly ask him if they had found any treasure to amend himself. Greedy witch indeed.). But Brook, who had experience in captaincy because of the traumatizing duty he had to take on after his captain's death fifty-two years ago, would know what to do. If anything, he'd assume the position of captain until their return from Middle Earth.

"You know," the archaelogist went on, her smile still there. "I heard that Lord Elrond is gathering a council in Rivendell, and there's a chance we might be or might not be invited to go... but if there's a tomorrow for us, if there is one at all, we'd better be around to hear what they'll say about the fate of their world. While it doesn't concern us at all, it would be good to know what they'll do to get the One Ring destroyed once and for all." Her smile disappeared from her face, and her frown came back. "Middle Earth would be doomed if they were to fail, there's still so much to learn from them."

Luffy, even if he didn't get it (but there was a chance he might have understood something.), still looked pretty excited about this adventure. "Shishishishishishi! I'm so excited, I'm so looking forward to another adventure in this world!" He punched the air, his grin as wide as possible. "Maybe we'll find some treasure?"

"Don't talk about it in front of Nami when we get back, Luffy," Zoro warned him, looking annoyed already. "That witch will never let us hear the end of it."

Robin wasn't one hundred per cent sure about all this, but she could have guesses about certain things: their presence in Middle Earth might be known to someone – to Sauron himself, since they had been close to Bilbo for some time. The One Ring had whispered promises to both of her friends, who had Haki and were now sensitive to most of the things back home. Hearing the 'voices', like Sanji and Zoro tried to explain, was something incredible back home... but in Middle Earth? That would be a weakness. A terrible weakness. She knew that her friends weren't this weak to let themselves be tempted by some trinket – especially Luffy, who didn't need it. – and they were strong enough to overcome their new enemies in the New World, but all eventualities must be revised and not be overlooked.

_If there's a tomorrow for us_, Robin thought, looking at Luffy and Zoro seemingly arguing, _I'd like to gather every knowledge accessible to me. If the One Ring still exists, then the Dark Lord still lives. Will another war break out to recover this abomination?_

That was more than likely.

* * *

_Somewhere in Middle Earth_.

The man snarled in disgust at the foul stench, retracting his arm from the fallen creature. The Orc fell flat on his back, limp and his body covered in black blood. Then he shook his arm, trying to rid himself from the abomination that had touched him.

"For God's sake," he swore hatefully, his eyes glaring at the multiple bodies surrounding him. "Do they even know when to give up? Fucking creatures. Fucking medieval world..."

This man was oddly dressed; he was wearing a black costume, looking a little worn out, and a long, white coat on his shoulders. The muscles were well defined under his attire. His face was hard, if not tired. His eyes, so green and yet so cold, were fierce. The aura he was showing off was strong – everything about him screamed 'strong'.

Looking down at the last Orc he killed with intense disgust, he spat on his corpse. His arm, that was shining in black because of the power he used, went back to its normal colors.

"I must get going," he muttered darkly, stepping on the arm of the Orc and breaking it purposely. The snap didn't do anything to calm him down.

For this Marine Vice-Admiral was starting to get sick of Middle Earth and his creatures.

* * *

**Author's Note 1:** … not even saying 'sorry' would be enough to excuse this freaking lateness. But here it is, finally!

**Next ****c****hapter:** _Decisions Are Made_


End file.
